Bursa Malaysia Ends Morning Session Lower
KUALA LUMPUR, May 5 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia was lower at midday, dragged down by selling in selected heavyweights, said an analyst.
At 12.30 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) fell 2.08 points, or 0.12 per cent, to 1,737.69 from Monday’s close of 1,739.77.
The benchmark index, which opened 1.97 points lower at 1,737.80, moved between 1,732.64 and 1,738.47 during the morning session.
Market breadth was negative with losers leading gainers 648 to 358. A total of 523 counters were unchanged, 1,103 untraded, and 11 suspended.
Turnover stood at 1.48 billion units valued at RM1.04 billion.
Malacca Securities Sdn Bhd said Wall Street is set to trade in a risk-off mode today following the Iranian attack on a tanker in the United Arab Emirates' energy hub and the potential collapse of Iran’s 14-point proposal.
"Hence, we anticipate the spillover effect to occur in the FBM KLCI today," it said in a note today.
The brokerage added that the current elevated oil price environment should continue to bode well for oil and gas counters, benefitting Dialog Group Bhd, Hibiscus Petroleum Bhd and Hengyuan Refining Company.
Given the current artificial intelligence infrastructure buildout, Malacca Securities expects sentiment to remain supportive of the data centre theme, favouring YTL Power International Bhd, Ranhill Utilities Bhd and CBH Engineering Holding Bhd.
Among heavyweights, Maybank and IHH Healthcare edged down six sen each to RM11.22 and RM8.81, respectively, Public Bank eased one sen to RM4.74 and Tenaga Nasional decreased 14 sen to RM14.66, while CIMB added 13 sen to RM8.81.
On the most active list, Zetrix AI shed one sen to 85 sen and Straits Energy Resources slipped 2.5 sen to five sen, while GIIB Holdings added three sen to 19 sen and Tanco inched up one sen to RM1.62.
Among the top gainers, Dutch Lady Milk Industries jumped 22 sen to RM32.74, Hong Leong Industries improved 34 sen to RM18.04, Petronas Chemicals went up 15 sen to RM5.85, and Petronas Dagangan put on 14 sen to RM20.24.
As for the top losers, Nestle dropped RM1.80 to RM102.00, Malaysian Pacific Industries gave up 52 sen to RM37.48, Hong Leong Bank and Vitrox Corp declined 22 sen each to RM22.08 and RM5.54, respectively, and Khind Holdings slid 18 sen to RM1.29.
On the index board, the FBM Emas Index shrank 31.42 points to 12,816.35, the FBM Top 100 Index erased 30.62 points to 12,658.42, the FBM Emas Shariah Index tumbled 40.31 points to 12,784.14, the FBM Mid 70 Index shaved 110.58 points to 18,154.63, and the FBM ACE Index slid 51.38 points to 4,584.68.
By sector, the Energy Index eased 2.14 points to 835.57, the Industrial Products and Services Index edged down 0.46 of-a-point to 195.76, and the Financial Services Index weakened 1.59 points to 20,088.73, while the Plantation Index rose 15.66 points to 8,989.43.
-- BERNAMA