Bursa M'sia ends mixed, CI up 0.82 of-a-point

KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia ended mixed today with the benchmark index finishing slightly higher, in line with the firmer regional markets which were driven by strong external factors.
A dealer said the factors included stronger expectations of US President Donald Trump's tax-cut decision and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's resounding victory in Sunday's general election.
At 5pm, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) inched up 0.82 of-a-point, or 0.047 % to close at 1,741.47 compared with last Friday's close of 1,740.65.
After opening 1.64 points higher at 1,742.29, the index moved between 1,741.38 and 1,744.86 throughout the day.
Market breadth was however negative with losers outpacing gainers by 453 to 434, with 364 counters unchanged, 600 untraded and 19 others suspended.
Volume increased to 2.72 billion shares worth RM1.95 billion from last Friday's 2.58 billion units valued at RM2.22 billion.
Regionally, Singapore's Straits Times index rose 8.01 points or 0.24 % to 3,348.74, Japan's Nikkei surged 239.01 points or 1.11 % to 21,696.65 and Shanghai Composite Index improved 2.05 points or 0.06 % to 3,380.70.
Besides, the dealer said firmer commodity prices, including benchmark Brent crude oil prices which stood at US$57.75, (RM244.54) per barrel today, also lent support to the local key index.
On the home front, heavyweights Sime Darby edged up five sen to RM9.11 while Maybank fell five sen to RM9.24, Tenaga declined two sen to RM14.30, Petronas Chemicals gave up four sen to RM7.50, and Public Bank was unchanged at RM20.46.
Among active counters, Notion Vtec perked 3.5 sen to 73.5 sen, Inta Bina bagged five sen to 36.5 sen while Asia Bioenergy trimmed half-a-sen to 18 sen.
Trive Property and its warrant eased three sen and half-a-sen to 21.5 sen and 5.5 sen, respectively.
Sector-wise, the Industrial Index grew 22.31 points to 3,212.54 but the Plantation Index declined 17.64 points to 7,904.95 and the Finance Index erased 6.47 points to 16,289.62.
The FBM Emas Index gained 3.04 points to 12,516.83, the FBM Emas Shariah Index added 15.51 points to 12,870.74, the FBMT 100 Index ticked up 1.92 points to 12,157.70, the FBM Ace was 17.23 points firmer at 6,966.60, while the FBM 70 was 11.68 points lower at 15,266.49.
Sector-wise, the Industrial Index accumulated 22.31 points to 3,212.54, while the Finance Index lost 6.47 points to 16,2289.62 and the Plantation Index slid 17.64 points to 7,904.95.
The Main Market volume improved to 1.74 billion units worth RM1.74 billion from 1.73 billion units worth RM2.06 billion last Friday.
Volume on the ACE Market widened to 812.51 million valued at RM182.78 million from 681.11 million shares valued at RM133.48 million.
Warrants volume increased to 162.70 million worth RM17.78 million from 153.77 million units worth RM19.53 million.
Consumer products accounted for 106.85 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products (354.96 million), construction (58.56 million), trade and services (448.57 million), technology (611.54 million), infrastructure (8.47 million), SPAC (52,500), finance (42.18 million), hotels (443,900), properties (84.79 million), plantations (22.47 million), mining (10,000), REITs (6.32 million), and closed/fund (5,000).
The physical price of gold as at 5.00pm stood at RM167.94/g, down 36 sen from RM168.30 at 5.00pm last friday. — Bernama