Last-minute buying lifts Bursa Malaysia at close

KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia closed higher today, lifted by last-minute buying in selected index-linked counters.
At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) finished 8.45 points higher at 1,856.39 from Monday's close of 1,847.94.
The key index opened 2.45 points lower at 1,845.49 and moved between 1,841.47 and 1,856.39 throughout the day.
Market breadth was negative as losers led gainers 657 to 284, with 373 counters unchanged, 579 untraded and 23 others suspended.
Volume increased to 1.95 billion units worth RM2.07 billion from 1.94 billion units worth RM1.68 billion on Monday.
Leading the gain among index-linked counters, Public Bank chalked up 40 sen to RM23.52, MISC perked 25 sen to RM7.30 and IHH added 15 sen to RM6.20.
Public Bank also topped the gainers' list for the day.
However, the broader market remained weak, derailed by the weaker regional and global equities amid cautious sentiment ahead of the US Federal Reserve's policy meeting starting today.
"Asian shares concluded mostly mixed amid market anxiety, while European equities finished sharply lower as traders turned cautious ahead of the Federal Reserve's policy meeting this week," he said.
Of the active counters, Goodway perked six sen to 30 sen and Media Chinese Digital added 8.5 sen to 43 sen.
Sapura Energy slipped half-a-sen to 48.5 sen and Frontken eased 45 sen to 44.5 sen, while Nexgram was flat at five sen.
The FBM Emas Index increased 17.59 points to 13,054.39, FBMT 100 Index rose 28.15 points to 12,815.74 and the FBM Emas Shariah Index improved 28.58 points to 13,228.93.
The FBM 70 erased 68.91 points to 15,613.74 but the FBM Ace fell 99.96 points to 5,817.89.
Sector-wise, the Industrial Index increased 23.24 points to 3,261.94, the Finance Index advanced 25.672 points to 18,085.96 and the Plantation Index surged 41.2 points to 8,007.95.
The Main Market volume increased to 1.22 billion units worth RM1.95 billion from 1.18 billion units worth RM1.56 billion yesterday.
Volume on the ACE Market decreased to 428.1 million shares valued at RM66.03 million from Monday's 463.92 million shares valued at RM75.55 million.
Warrants' volume expanded to 295.45 million units worth RM52.44 million from 290.26 million units worth RM43.05 million previously.
Consumer products accounted for 75.27 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products (307.82 million), construction (74.49 million), trade and services (468.14 million), technology (45.87 million), infrastructure (6.52 million), SPAC (59.08 million), finance (60.6 million), hotels (114,300), properties (80.61 million), plantations (16.18 million), mining (120,800), REITs (16.13 million), and closed/fund (3,000).
The physical price of gold as at 5pm stood at RM160.14 per gramme, up 43 sen from RM159.71 at 5pm yesterday. — Bernama