Bursa Malaysia ends lower on selling sentiment

KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia ended lower yesterday on selling interest amid worries over global trade tensions.

At 5pm, the key FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) closed 4.68 points lower at 1,680.37 from Monday’s close of 1,685.05.

The index opened 0.32 of-apoint lower at 1,684.73 and moved between 1,674.11 and 1,689.91 throughout the trading session.

A dealer said sentiment remained fragile in the face of tense trade relations between the US and major economies.

“While we still think that a full-blown trade war is unlikely, the harsh rhetoric and punitive measures have reached a point that warrants serious consideration of such eventualities,” he said.

Of the heavyweights, Maybank and Public Bank added two sen each to RM8.98 and RM23 respectively, and Petronas Chemicals perked five sen to RM8.45.

TNB shed 16 sen to RM14.44 and CIMB slipped one sen to RM5.40.

Among actives, APFT added one sen to two sen, Nova MSC gained 2.5 sen to 16.5 sen and Borneo Oil edged up half-a-sen to seven sen.

Sapura Energy slipped half-asen to 61.5 sen and MyEG lost four sen to 90 sen.

On the scoreboard, the FBM Emas Index decreased 34.38 points to 11,884.63, the FBM70 was 50.72 points lower at 14,538.39 and the FBMT100 Index erased 34.58 points to 11,682.07.

The FBM Emas Shariah Index fell 55.90 points to 12,037.31 but the FBM Ace Index jumped 67.21 points to 5,202.85.

Sector-wise, the Finance Index rose 22.01 points to 16,510.77 but the Industrial Index declined 8.04 points to 3,099.12 and the Plantation Index fell 34.41 points to 7,504.17.

Losers led gainers 446 to 351, with 413 counters unchanged, 637 untraded and 18 others suspended.

Volume was higher at 2.13 billion units valued at RM1.65 billion from Monday’s 1.69 billion units valued at RM1.61 billion.

Main Market volume decreased to 1.18 billion shares worth RM1.37 billion from 1.19 billion shares worth RM1.53 billion Monday.

Warrants turnover rose to 702.24 million units valued at RM228.73 million from Monday’s 256.67 million units valued at RM45.64 million.

Volume on the ACE Market improved to 245.31 million shares worth RM54.01 million from 241.68 million shares worth RM45.64 million previously.

Consumer products accounted for 67.9 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products (266.88 million), construction (49.96 million), trade and services (533.68 million), technology (64.62 million), infrastructure (7.71 million), SPAC (47.01 million), finance (45.79 million), hotels (2.24 million), properties (77 million), plantations (18.32 million), mining (19,900), REITs (2.02 million) and closed/fund (30,800).

For further information on stocks and prices, please visit www.bursamalaysia.com.