Bursa Malaysia ends firm in listless trading

KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia ended marginally higher, in listless trading, amid the lack of market-moving news and investors’ participation, a dealer said.

At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) ended 0.32 of-a-point better at 1,769.49 after moving between 1,765.65 and 1,771.85 throughout the day.

The index opened 2.58 points lower at 1,766.59 from last Friday’s close of 1,769.17.

Market breadth was negative with losers outweighing gainers 579 to 298, with 327 counters unchanged, 635 untraded and 62 others were suspended.

Volume fell to 1.78 billion units, worth RM1.65 billion, from 2.0 billion units, valued at RM1.94 billion, recorded yesterday.

A dealer said investor sentiment may remain subdued this holiday-shortened week ahead of the public holidays on Thursday and Friday and this coupled with the absence of clear direction from the European Central Bank and US Federal Reserve, may seem trading subdued this week.

Heavyweights, WPRTS added 14 sen to RM3.75, IHH and Maybank improved four sen each to RM5.95 and RM9.6, respectively, Genting and HLFG both gained two sen each to RM9.77 and RM16.96, respectively, while Sime reduced four sen to RM9.09.

Of actives, DataPRP added 1.5 sen to 37.5 sen, Waseong was four sen higher at RM1.03, CMMT and AsiaPac were flat at RM1.48 and 16 sen, respectively, Olympia reduced half-a-sen to 13 sen and CCK lost 4.5 sen to 99.5 sen.

The FBM Emas Index declined 9.42 points to 12,598.58, FBM Emas Shariah Index decreased 19.16 points to 12,778.35 and the FBMT 100 Index erased 3.65 points to 12,262.54.

The FBM 70 inched down 26.5 points to 15,060.13 but the FBM Ace was 57.57 points lower at 6,609.

Sector-wise, the Plantation Index fell 19.18 points to 7,841.86, Finance gained 24.83 points to 16,718.03 and the Industrial Index fell 13.77 points to 3,203.99.

Main Market volume fell to 998.34 million shares, worth RM1.49 billion, from Friday’s 1.10 billion shares valued at RM1.76 billion.

Volume on the ACE Market was reduced at 559.69 million units, worth RM133.88 million, from 717.91 million units, valued at RM146.32 million, recorded previously.

Warrants increased to 212.81 million shares, worth RM27.24 million, from Friday’s 180.87 million shares worth RM24.30 million.

Consumer products accounted for 54.4 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products (267.36 million), construction (75.18 million), trade and services (407.86 million), technology (32.02 million), infrastructure (4.13 million), SPAC (627,000), finance (50.05 million), hotels (1.29 million), properties (78.29 million), plantations (16.53 million), mining (1.28 million), REITs (9.31 million), and closed/ fund (13,200).