KUALA LUMPUR: The FBM KLCI ended the morning session firmer despite the mostly weaker regional markets, however the broader market was seen weaker due to lack of fresh new leads.
At 12.30pm, the KLCI rose 5.58 points to 1,822.71. Turnover was 1.5 billion shares valued at RM1.022bil. There were 355 gainers, 357 decliners and 305 counters unchanged.
BIMB Research in a note said that it may see some buying support today with the 1,820 now as the immediate resistance level.
Meanhile, Reuters reported that most Asian stock markets edged higher on Tuesday, bolstered by another record day on Wall Street, while a resurgent yen helped knock the US dollar index off an 11-year high.
The Australian dollar jumped after the Reserve Bank of Australia held policy steady, confounding investors who had bet it would deliver a back-to-back interest rate cut instead of holding off for a few months to gauge how the economy digested last month's cut, it said.
At Bursa Malaysia, BAT rose 66 sen to RM68.50, Amway 36 sen to RM11.50 and Dutch Lady
18 sen to RM47.
United Plantations rose 32 sen to RM25.80.
Decliners were Rex, down 10 sen to RM1.40 and Brahims 10 sen to RM1.07.
MAHB fell 14 sen to RM6.80 and Allianz 14 sen to RM12.20.
Nikkei 225 fell 0.18% to 18,792.65
Hong Kong Hang Seng Index rose 0.02% to 24,892.25
Shanghai Stock Exchange Composite Index fell 0.92% to 3,305.45
Taiwan Stock Exchange Weighted Index fell 0.16% to 9,586.23
Korea Stock Exchange KOSPI Index rose 0.09% to 1,998.58
Straits Times Index STI rose 0.67% to 3,426.81
Crude oil (WTI) rose 37 cents to US$49.96 and Brent 86 cents to US$60.40.
Spot gold rose US$2.18 to US$1,209.01
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