By Rosemarie Khoo Mohd Sani
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 1 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia ended higher today, tracking gains across most regional equity markets, an analyst said.
At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 8.99 points, or 0.55 per cent, to 1,620.87, compared with Tuesday’s close of 1,611.88.
The benchmark index opened 0.74 of-a-point higher at 1,612.62, and moved between 1,612.62 and 1,624.04 throughout the session.
Market breadth was positive, with gainers outnumbering decliners 596 to 437, while 505 counters were unchanged, 1,019 untraded, and five suspended.
Turnover narrowed to 2.47 billion units worth RM2.48 billion, from 3.47 billion units valued at RM3.16 billion on Tuesday.
Rakuten Trade vice-president of equity research Thong Pak Leng said the FBM KLCI tracked regional markets, with most major Asian bourses finishing higher on strong gains in tech stocks amid optimism over the artificial intelligence (AI) trade.
China and Hong Kong were closed for National Day, with mainland markets to remain shut until the middle of next week.
Back home, Thong said the FBM KLCI has broken out of its rectangular consolidation pattern that persisted since mid-August, signalling renewed strength in the market.
“The decisive move above 1,600 has been followed by a steady climb, and the index is now testing the 1,620-1,625 resistance band.
"This zone represents a critical breakout level; a successful push beyond it would confirm the end of the consolidation phase and pave the way for a move toward the 1,635-1,650 range in the near term,” he told Bernama.
Meanwhile, IPPFA Sdn Bhd director of Investment Strategy and Country economist, Mohd Sedek Jantan, said sentiment was also lifted by the latest S&P Malaysia Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), which reported a second straight month of rising new orders in September.
While export demand softened across the US, Europe and parts of Asia-Pacific, the survey pointed to stronger domestic confidence and the launch of new projects as key growth drivers.
“The uptick in activity also placed pressure on operating capacity, ending more than a year of backlog reduction,” said Mohd Sedek.
He noted that the FBM KLCI currently trades at a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.63 — broadly fair but still at a meaningful discount to the US market at 26.76, which is widely considered expensive.
"This valuation gap, combined with firmer domestic demand and upcoming policy catalysts such as Budget 2026, strengthens Malaysia’s positioning as a beneficiary of near-term portfolio reallocation," he added.
For September, the FBM KLCI gained 1.56 per cent, reflecting steady accumulation despite global uncertainties.
Among heavyweights, IHH Healthcare jumped 39 sen to RM7.94, CIMB gained 11 sen to RM7.45, Hong Leong Bank increased 28 sen to RM20.80, 99 Speed Mart bagged seven sen to RM2.81, and Public Bank added three sen to RM4.36.
In active trade, Zetrix AI, VS Industry and Tanco edged up one sen each to 86 sen, 60 sen and 91 sen respectively, Tan Chong Motor rose 17.5 sen to 80.5 sen, and Malakoff advanced five sen to RM1.10.
Besides IHH Healthcare and Hong Leong Bank, top gainers included Nestlé, up RM1.18 to RM97.40; Eurospan, up 51 sen to RM2.91; and Petronas Dagangan, up 30 sen to RM23.24.
Among the top losers, Time Dotcom and Tenaga fell 12 sen each to RM4.98 and RM13.10, respectively, Southern Acids and Malayan Cement lost 10 sen each to RM3.40 and RM6.93, while APM shaved six sen to RM3.12.
On the index board, the FBM Emas Index strengthened 69.88 points to 12,055.77, the FBMT 100 Index rose 66.92 points to 11,789.54, and the FBM Emas Shariah Index advanced 61.85 points to 12,078.40.
The FBM 70 Index surged 102.29 points to 16,848.88, and the FBM ACE Index added 31.97 points to 5,203.28.
By sector, the Industrial Products and Services Index edged up 1.04 points to 172.50, the Plantation Index gained 8.53 points to 7,788.11, the Financial Services Index jumped 163.03 points to 18,409.77, and the Energy Index recovered 1.73 points to 778.35.
Main Market volume slipped to 1.65 billion units valued at RM2.27 billion, from 1.87 billion units worth RM2.83 billion on Tuesday.
Warrant turnover narrowed to 288.42 million units worth RM27.59 million, compared with 1.03 billion units valued at RM155.25 million yesterday.
The ACE Market volume eased to 531.81 million shares valued at RM184.26 million, against 565.69 million shares worth RM170.09 million previously.
On the Main Market, consumer products and services counters accounted for 340.32 million shares traded, followed by industrial products and services (315.96 million), construction (84.24 million), technology (286.82 million), financial services (63.11 million), property (174.58 million), plantation (26.16 million), REITs (18.25 million), closed/fund (42,400), energy (104.64 million), healthcare (111.14 million), telecommunications and media (29.06 million), transportation and logistics (29.23 million), utilities (75.00 million), and business trusts (111,800).
-- BERNAMA
