KL shares end mixed, CI up 10.4 pts

KUALA LUMPUR: Share prices on Bursa Malaysia ended mixed yesterday with the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI ( FBM KLCI) finishing at its intraday-high, but the market was broadly weaker by anticipations of another contracted Consumer Price Index (CPI) data for February.

However, the key index continued to be supported by buying interests in selected blue chips and heavyweights, tracking the positive sentiment in the region.

At 5pm, the benchmark index surged 10.40 points to end at its intraday high of 1,690.94 against last Friday’s close of 1,680.54.

The market opened 1.29 points better at 1,681.83 and moved between 1,681.36 and 1,690.94 throughout the day.

On the scoreboard, market breadth was slightly negative with losers outnumbering gainers 455 to 440, while 353 counters remained unchanged, 646 were untraded and 35 others were suspended.

Volume slipped to 3.26 billion worth RM1.92 billion from 4.67 billion worth RM3.67 billion last Friday.

Commenting on the weaker market breadth, a dealer said news that Malaysia was likely to see another low CPI data of 0.4 per cent year- on-year (y- o-y) in February had left some investors feeling jittery.

This is because the country had just seen its January CPI data fell 0.7 per cent y- o-y, the first deflation since 2009.

“Thenewshadsomeimplication on certain blue chips, especially the consumer products and services -related counters,” it said.

A Bloomberg survey showed the February CPI, scheduled to be released on Friday, was likely to contract by 0.4 per cent y- o-y, the second month of declines after January’s reading.

On Bursa Malaysia’s top losers list, five of them were consumer products and services- linked counters, namely Carlsberg, which fell 38 sen to RM25.36, BAT declined 30 sen to RM34.26, FCW shed 23.5 sen to 71.5 sen, Eng Kah slid 22 sen to 82 sen and Nesle was 20 sen lower at RM148.50.

Meanwhile, the dealer said investors would also watch closely the 15th Invest Malaysia Capital Market forum to be held tomorrow and Wednesday, as any updates from the major event could give crucial direction to the industry participants.

Of the heavyweights, Maybank gained two sen to RM9.49, IHH climbed seven sen to RM5.85 while Public Bank, Petronas Chemicals and CIMB all remained unchanged at RM24.48, RM9.25 and RM5.48, respectively.

Tenaga led the top gainers’ list by advancing 38 sen to RM13.06, while the top loser was Hong Leong Bank, erased 52 sen to RM20.76.

Stocks that were actively traded were Sapura Energy, which shed half-a-sen to 36 sen but its warrant ticked up one sen to 14.5 sen, Orion increased 1.5 sen to 20.5 sen, Destini bagged 2.5 sen to 34 sen, while PUC went down half- a- sen to 10.5 sen.

Regionally, Singapore’s Strait Times Index climbed 0.40 per cent to 3,212.96, Japan’s Nikkei rose 0.62 per cent to 21,584.50 and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index jumped 1.37 per cent to 29,409.01.

The FBM Emas Index firmed up 57.57 points to 11,816.75, the FBMT 100 rose 60.62 points to 11,663.34, the FBM Emas Shariah Index leapt 95.78 points to 11,843.86, the FBM Ace Index advanced 67.33 points to 4,901.78 and the FBM 70 was up 28.39 points to 14,237.47.

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