KL shares close higher

KUALALUMPUR: Share prices closed broadly higher on Bursa Malaysia yesterday on the back of persistent buying of heavyweight, small cap and financerelated counters.

The benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) settled 9.76 points higher at 1,703.19 against Wednesday’s close of 1,693.43.

The index moved between 1,695.86 and 1,708.62 throughout the day, after opening 3.19 points better at 1,696.62.

Market breadth was positive as advancer sout-paced decliners 490 to 341 with 360 counters unchanged, 784 untraded and 20 others were suspended.

Volume rose to 1.81 billion shares, worth RM2.31 billion, from 1.43 billion shares, valued at RM1.69 billion, transacted on Wednesday.

A dealer said investors also reacted positively to indications that the United States Federal Reserve would defer raising interest rates and was likely to increase them two rather than four times this year.

On the homefront, heavyweights Maybank rose six sen to RM8.80, Public Bank improved two sen to RM18.80, Petronas Chemicals advanced three sen to RM6.78, Sime Darby gained four sen to RM7.93 while CIMB garnered 16 sen to RM4.80.

Active stocks yesterday included Inix Technologies and APFT, which declined one sen each to five sen and 5.5 sen, respectively.

Vivocom increased 1.5 sen to 28 sen, Eka Noodles improved one sen to 23.5 sen and Ranhill gained seven sen to RM1.08.

Meanwhile, Bursa Malaysia today issued an uusual market activity query to Aturmaju Resources Bhd due to the rise in its share price recently.

Aturmaju’s stock stood at RM1.55 at 5 pm, up three sen, with a total of 8,881,900 shares traded.

On the scoreboard, the FBM Emas Index rose 64.43 points to 11,805.71, the FBMT100 Index gained 60.64 points to 11,510.51 and the FBM Emas Shariah Index increased 38.22 points to 12,425.6.

The FBM 70 improved 49.39 points to 13,064.02 and the FBM Ace earned 85.69 points higher at 5,670.16.

Sector-wise, the Industrial Index added 12.58 points to 3,273.49, the Plantation Index improved 43.52 points to 8,038.3 and the Finance Index surged 116.22 points to 14,577.81.

Main Market volume rose to 1.25 billion units, valued at RM2.2 billion, from 1.03 billion units, worth RM1.69 billion, registered on Wednesday.

Turnover on the ACE Market increased to 345.62 million units, valued at RM63.01 million, against Wednesday’s 219.53 million shares worth RM33.02 million.

Warrants improved to 210.37 million units, valued at RM40.57 million, against 179.78 million units, worth RM30.46 million, registered previously.

Consumer products accounted for 104.84 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products (221.43 million), construction (111.87 million), trade and services (496.55 million), technology (20.83 million), infrastructure (10.93 million), SPAC (91.61 million), finance (75.74 million), hotels (559,000), properties (80.63 million), plantations (26.73 million), mining (20,000), REITs (15.46 million) and closed/fund (5,000). — Bernama