KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 6 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia ended the morning trading session slightly higher, tracking the firmer regional markets, with continued buying in selected heavyweight counters supporting the market sentiment, an analyst said.
At 12.30 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) gained 1.41 points, or 0.09 per cent, to 1,636.47, from Friday’s closing of 1,635.06.
The benchmark index had opened 1.08 points higher at 1,636.14, and moved between 1,629.93 and 1,637.70 throughout the session.
However, market breadth was negative with decliners trumping gainers 659 to 328, while 456 counters remained unchanged, 1,121 untraded, and seven suspended.
Turnover stood at 2.35 billion units, valued at RM1.26 billion.
Hong Leong Investment Bank Bhd said Asian markets traded higher after Wall Street's tech-led rally overnight, shrugging off the United States (US) government shutdown amid ongoing interest rate cut hopes.
In a note today, the investment bank said Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumped 1.85 per cent, driven by artificial intelligence (AI) enthusiasm following a Hitachi–OpenAI tie-up and dovish Bank of Japan signals, as Governor Kazuo Ueda signalled caution on hikes.
“Sentiment also lifted on optimism over US–China trade talks, with US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent citing a potential breakthrough and speculation of President Donald Trump–China’s President Xi Jinping meeting in South Korea,” it said.
Among the heavyweights, Maybank added two sen to RM10.02, Tenaga Nasional rose 12 sen to RM13.40 and IHH Healthcare increased 18 sen to RM8.31, while Public Bank remained unchanged at RM4.34 and CIMB lost two sen to RM7.66.
As for the active counters, NexG gained half-a-sen to 52.5 sen, KNM lost 2.5 sen to half-a-sen and V.S Industry fell 1.5 sen to 55.5 sen, while Tanco and Borneo Oil remained unchanged at 89 sen and half-a-sen, respectively.
Of the top gainers, Petronas Gas jumped 24 sen to RM18.82; Hong Leong Industries and Chin Teck Plantations soared 16 sen each to RM14.36 and RM10.16, respectively; P.I.E Industrial increased 13 sen to RM3.39, and Eupe Corporation advanced 12 sen to RM1.08.
Top losers were Petronas Dagangan, which slid 28 sen to RM23.10; Malaysian Pacific Industries fell 26 sen to RM30.96; Ajinomoto slipped 16 sen to RM13.64; Fraser and Neave narrowed 12 sen to RM27.68 and Bursa Malaysia weakened 10 sen to RM8.11.
On the index board, the FBM Emas Index fell 7.92 points to 12,173.75 and the FBM 100 Index eased 6.26 points to 11,902.70, while the FBM Emas Shariah Index inched up 2.63 points to 12,196.36.
The FBM 70 Index fell 80.76 points to 17,009.44, and the FBM ACE Index weakened 22.81 points to 5,324.31.
Sector-wise, the Industrial Products and Services Index inched down 1.0 point to 173.35 and the Energy Index decreased 3.21 points to 784.45, while the Financial Services Index climbed 7.54 points to 18,609.94, and the Plantation Index elevated 24.19 points to 7,820.83.
-- BERNAMA
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