Bursa Malaysia ends on easier note
KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia closed lower today, echoing global and regional equity performances on rampant profit-taking, leaving the indices in the red throughout the day, dealers said.
At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) closed 6.97 points easier at 1,857.06 from 1,864.03 on Tuesday's close.
After opening 1.54 points weaker at 1,862.49 in the morning, the index moved between 1,855.14 and 1,863.67 throughout the day.
Public Investment Bank Bhd, in a note, said the local bourse would display a lower performance after Wall Street's sharp fall in the technology and energy sectors, as traders observed the 'shake-up' in the US President Donald Trump administration amid digested inflation data that matched market expectations.
Market breadth was negative as losers led gainers by 635 to 332 with 390 counters unchanged, 527 untraded and 20 others suspended.
Volume fell to 2.32 billion units worth RM2.06 billion from 2.29 billion units worth RM2.08 billion on Tuesday.
Among heavyweights, Maybank, Public Bank and Petronas Gas were flat at RM10.44, RM23.00 and RM17.90, respectively, while Tenaga increased two sen to RM15.64.
Meanwhile, CIMB declined one sen to RM7.24 and Petronas Chemicals was five sen weaker at RM8.10.
Of the active counters, AirAsia X rose three sen to 42 sen, NWP Holdings increased two sen to 34 sen and DGB Asia was half-a-sen higher at 17.5 sen.
Sapura Energy was four sen lower at 41 sen. SKH Consortium was flat at 8.5 sen.
The FBM Emas Index decreased 36.42 points to 13,081.71, FBMT 100 Index was 34.15 points lower at 12,830.65 and the FBM Emas Syariah Index declined 74.09 points to 13,238.64.
The FBM 70 rose 6.08 points to 15,666.95. The FBM Ace edged down 91.16 points to 5,900.37.
Sector-wise, the Industrial Index was flat at 3,258.47 and the Plantation Index declined 48.69 points to 8,056.42.
The Finance Index, however, was 11.65 points better at 18,165.75.
Main Market volume increased to 1.47 billion units worth RM1.92 billion from 1.43 billion units worth RM1.93 billion on Tuesday.
Volume on the ACE Market decreased to 522.16 million shares valued at RM90.59 million shares from 533.66 million shares valued at RM99.79 million.
Warrants' volume increased to 315.33 million worth RM50.27 million from 305 million worth RM48.29 million.
Consumer products accounted for 84.66 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products (389.96 million), construction (103.23 million), trade and services (655.35 million), technology (53.2 million), infrastructure (3.08 million), SPAC (11.81 million), finance (37.64 million), hotels (443,000), properties (113.64 million), plantations (20 million), mining (184,400), REITs (6.56 million), and closed/fund (6,000).
The physical price of gold as at 5pm stood at RM160.79 per gramme, up 97 sen from RM159.82 at 5pm yesterday. — Bernama