Bursa Malaysia ends higher

KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia closed higher yesterday on continued buying in selected heavyweights led by Petronas Chemicals, as well as mid and small-cap stocks, in sync with most regional peers, dealers said.

At 5pm, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI ( FBM KLCI) was firmer at 1,787.58, up 4.11 points or 0.23 per cent, from last Friday’s close of 1,783.47.

The barometer index moved between 1,782.74 and 1,791.14 throughout the session, after opening 0.96 of-a-point better at 1,784.43.

However, market breadth was negative with losers outpacing gainers 497 to 383, while 411 counters were unchanged, 594 untraded and 27 others suspended.

Volume improved to 2.29 billion units worth RM2.05 billion, from 2.0 billion units valued at RM2.03 billion. A dealer said most regional stock markets rose on optimism of a positive outcome from the US-China trade talks due later this week.

It was reported that US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet in Washington this week to discuss their ongoing trade dispute.

On regional bourses, the Singapore Straits Times index decreased 0.15 per cent to 3,204.71, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index rose 1.41 per cent to 27,598.02, Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.32 per cent to 22,199.00, China’s SSE Composite Index gained 1.11 per cent to 2,698.47 and South Korea’s Kospi rose 0.04 per cent to 2,247.88.

Among heavyweights, Maybank gained one sen to RM9.79, Petronas Chemicals added rose 30 sen to RM9.44, Public Bank was flat at RM24.50, TNB fell two sen to RM15.68 and CIMB decreased one sen to RM5.88.

Of actives, PriceWorth International was down half-a-sen to seven sen, Hibiscus Petroleum gained four sen to 98 sen and Iskandar Waterfront gained eight sen to 85 sen.

The FBM Emas Index was 25.69 points higher at 12,645.27, the FBMT 100 Index increased 26.94 points to 12,416.35 and the FBM 70 bagged 27.56 points to 15,411.01.

The FBM Emas Shariah Index advanced 36.86 points to 12,817.90 and the FBM Ace Index gained 20.92 points to 5,573.32.

Sector-wise, the Finance Index rose 11.14 points to 17,399.93 while the Industrial Index decreased 7.09 points to 3,225.81 and the Plantation Index slid 63.02 points to 7,564.17.

Main Market volume improved to 1.51 billion shares worth RM1.84 billion, from 1.25 billion shares worth RM1.84 billion last Friday.

Warrants turnover swelled to 482.73 million units valued at RM133.02 million, against 329.55 million units valued at RM80.25 million recorded previously.

Volume on the ACE Market declined to 295.18 million shares valued at RM80.11 million, versus Friday’s 412.33 million shares valued at RM106.64 million.

Consumer products accounted for 117.32 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products (427.60 million), construction (117.87 million), trade and services ( 409.35 million), technology (187.41 million), infrastructure (11.66 million), SPAC (2.08 million), finance (43.87 million), hotels (68,200), properties (172.65 million), plantations (17.07 million), mining (22,000), REITs (2.28 million), and closed/fund (nil).

For further information on stocks and prices, please visit www.bursamalaysia.com.