Heavyweights push FBM KLCI to end at day’s high of 1,622.08

KUALA LUMPUR: Strong buying of heavyweights like Maybank, IOI Corporation and Petronas Dagangan, late evening, prompted the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) to close at the day’s high of 1,622.08, dealers said.

They said gains in these counters pushed the benchmark index 8.03 points higher to 1,622.08 against 1,614.05 on Thursday.

The three counters collectively contributed 4.797 points to the benchmark index’s rise.

Maybank rose 14 sen to RM9.07, IOI Corporation increased 13 sen to RM5.03 and Petronas Dagangan gained 56 sen to RM23.36.

Meanwhile, regional bourses were on a mixed trend with Japan’s Nikkei 225 erasing 76.81 points to 11,385.94, the Singapore’s Straits Times edged up 0.53 of a point to 3,288.13 while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng lost 124.23 points to 22,782.44.

On the home front, the Finance Index surged 93.229 points to 14.926.17, the Industrial Index edged up 0.9 of a point to 2,783.51 and the Plantation Index jumped 71.81 points to 7,902.89.

The FBM Emas Index improved 55.43 points to 11,022.51, the FBMT100 Index increased 54.33 points to 10,877.64, the FBM Mid 70 Index was 61.811 points higher at 11,974.33 and the FBM Ace Index advanced 19.4 points to 3,940.88.

Gainers thumped losers 388 to 259 with 318 counters unchanged, 711 untraded and 25 others were suspended.

Total volume dropped to 831.57 million shares, worth RM1.497 billion, from yesterday’s 1.169 billion units valued at RM1.69 billion.

Volume on the Main Market rose to 753.347 million shares, worth RM1.473 billion, from Thursday’s 734.201 million shares, valued at RM1.64 billion.

Turnover on the ACE market dipped to 50.243 million units, worth RM5.349 million, versus yesterday’s 413.701 million units, worth RM37.315 million, transacted yesterday.

Warrants rose to 26.52 million shares, valued at RM1.638 million, compared with 18.37 million shares, valued at RM1.196 million, recorded on Thursday.

Apart from Petronas Dagangan, other top gainers were Nestle, which rose 52 sen to RM59.22 and United Plantations which gained 50 sen to RM26.30.

Of the actives, Patimas and Compugates were both unchanged at 6.5 sen and 9.5 sen, respectively, while Luster Industries eased half-a-sen to 11 sen.

Other heavyweights, Sime Darby shed one sen to RM9.21, Axiata increased four sen to RM6.37 while CIMB slipped two sen to RM7.05.

Consumer products accounted for 20.792 million shares on the Main Market, industrial products 163.596 million, construction 43.739 million, trade and services 273.216 million, technology 92.913 million, infrastructure 16.991 million, finance 58.029 million, hotels 6.171 million, properties 60.326 million, plantations 11.629 million, mining 33,600, REITs 5.771 million and closed/fund 141,000. — Bernama