KL shares close higher on last-minute buying interests

KUALA LUMPUR: Share prices on Bursa Malaysia closed higher yesterday on last-minute buying interests amid choppy trading, tracking the regional bourses, dealers said.

At 5 pm yesterday, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) was 4.82 points higher at 1,731.68, after moving between 1,724.47 and 1,731.68 throughout the day.

Gainers led losers by 443 to 353, with 288 counters unchanged, 744 counters untraded and 14 others suspended.

Total volume increased to 1.79 billion units worth RM1.89 billion from Tuesday’s 1.73 billion units worth RM1.68 billion.

A dealer said investors remained cautious due to absence of technical factors to help instill the necessary buying confidence as the market failed to break resistance level at 1,735.

Of the heavyweights, Maybank added one sen to RM9.29, Public Bank gained two sen to RM18.94 and Sime Darby improved four sen to RM8.56.

Tenaga fell 28 sen to RM12.78 and Axiata eased one sen at RM6.48.

Tenaga Nasional continued to top the losers’ list, contributing 2.75 points to the benchmark index.

Among actives, KNM added six sen to 65.5 sen, Perisai Petroleum gained one sen to 49 sen and Sumatec improved 1.5 sen each to 21 sen. PUC Founder was flat at 13.5 sen.

On the scoreboard, the FBM Emas Index was 39.29 points higher at 11,984.82, FBMT100 Index rose 32.02 points to 11,660.43, FBM Emas Syariah added 22.25 points to 12,456.48 and the FBM 70 improved 34.37 points to 13,075.46. The FBM Ace dropped 21.70 points to 6,533.40.

On a sectoral basis, the Finance Index rose 48.99 points to 15,651.86, Plantation Index increased 55.83 points to 7,317.35 and the Industrial Index added 10.74 points for 3,176.86.

Main Market volume rose to 1.31 billion shares worth RM1.77 billion from 1.07 billion shares worth RM1.48 billion on Tuesday.

Turnover on the ACE Market decreased to 369.46 million units valued at RM91.41 million from 508.80 million units valued at RM151.57 million on Tuesday.

Warrants depreciated to 105.32 million shares worth RM20.99 million from 152.71 million shares worth RM47.95 million previously.

Consumer products accounted for 66.51 million shares traded on the main market, industrial products (395.28 million), construction (53.66 million), trade and services (595.58 million), technology (41.17 million), infrastructure (16.09 million), SPAC (25.90 million), finance (38.81 million), hotels (1.74 million), properties (52.76 million), plantations (14.49 million), mining (35,000), REITS (11.05 million) and closed/fund (40,000). — Bernama