KL shares end higher, CI rises 12.92 pts

KUALA LUMPUR: Stocks on Bursa Malaysia ended higher yesterday lifted by last-minute buying support for selected blue chips led by PPB Group, which gained 56 sen to RM15.56.

The FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) advanced 12.92 points to 1,876.61, after opening 0.42 point higher at 1,863.69.

The market barometer hovered between 1,863.94 and 1,864.11 throughout the day.

Market breadth was positive as gainers led losers 432 to 316, with 342 counters unchanged, 544 untraded and 17 others suspended.

Total turnover fi rmed to 1.27 billion shares worth RM1.82 billion from 1.12 billion shares valued at RM1.24 billion previously.

An analyst said the market moved in line with Asian stocks which rose to three-year highs following a record close on Wall Street overnight.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 9.96 points to 16,934.24, the S& P 500 gained 1.69 points to 1,951.13 and the Nasdaq Composite added 6.14 points to 4,327.54.

“Bursa’s key index was low on profit-taking but rebounded and rallied in the fi nal hours on selected heavyweights buying,” the analyst said.

Regional markets were also mostly higher due to rising optimism over global growth prospects as recent global manufacturing and export data have highlighted improving economic conditions.

On the scoreboard, the Finance Index rose 27.51 points to 17,193.98, the Industrial Index gained 32.07 points to 3,194.37 and the Plantation Index rose 62.97 points to 9,242.05.

The FBM Emas Index was 69.76 points higher at 12,968.64, the FBMT100 Index gained 72.069 points to 12,615.56, the FBM Ace rose 16.25 points to 6,622.21 and the FBM 70 added 22.04 points to 14,062.14.

Among actives, Malaysia Airlines gained half a sen to 18 sen after its biggest shareholder Khazanah Nasional Bhd said it would come up with a plan to restructure the airline.

iDimension fell 1.5 sen to 16.5 sen and Hubline was flat at 5.5 sen.

Of the heavyweights, Maybank rose one sen to RM9.86, Public Bank gained two sen to RM20.82 but Tenaga fell two sen to RM11.76.

Main Market volume increased to 993.62 million shares worth RM1.76 billion, from 890.88 million shares valued at RM1.18 billion previously.

Turnover on the ACE market rose to 249.67 million shares valued at RM60.73 million, from 198.86 million shares worth RM48.37 million on Monday.

Warrants rose to 19.0 million shares worth RM2.44 million, from 20.98 million units valued at RM2.78 million previously.

Consumer products accounted for 65.47 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products 164.64 million, construction 49.49 million, trade and services 412.84 million, technology 58.41 million, infrastructure 30.14 million, SPAC 42.32 million, finance 39.48 million, hotels 6.87 million, properties 104.94 million, plantations 16.85 million, mining 4,000, REITs 2.15 million and closed/fund, 5,100. — Bernama