KUALA LUMPUR: Blue chips edged lower at midday on Wednesday, with UMW topping the losers’ list, amid the broader mixed market.
At 12.30pm, the FBM KLCI was down 1.14 points or 0.07% to 1,660.39. Turnover was 1.26 billion shares valued at RM840.28mil, which reflected the lower value of shares transacted. Decliners led advancers 399 to 366 while 338 counters were unchanged.
The ringgit weakened against the major currencies. It was at 4.3930 to the US dollar from 4.3830 while it lost ground against the pound sterling to 6.6805 from 6.6419. It dipped to 3.0816 to the Singapore dollar from 3.0784.
Reuters reported an index of Asian shares fell on Wednesday as copper prices tumbled and another bomb scare in Europe hurt risk appetites, while bets that the Federal Reserve remains on track for a rate hike bolstered the dollar.
The greenback edged higher, close to seven-month highs against a basket of currencies as U.S. economic data also backed the case that the US central bank is poised to increase interest rates next month for the first time in nearly a decade.
At Bursa Malaysia, Hong Leong Bank fell 10 sen to RM13.60, Public Bank four sen to RM18.06, CIMB three sen to RM4.54 while Maybank and AmBank shed two sen each to RM8.22 and RM4.66.
UMW was the top loser, down 15 sen to RM8.19 while Tenaga fell four sen to RM13.04.
US light crude oil rose 34 cents to US$41.01 and Brent gained 40 cents to US$43.97. Petronas Dagangan fell 10 sen to RM23.24, Petronas Gas six sen to RM22.72 but Petronas Chemicals rose seven sen to RM6.58. SK Petro was flat at RM2.10.
Among the consumer stocks, Dutch Lady
was the top gainer, up RM1.24 to RM48.96 after its bumper dividends. BAT added two sen to RM6.16.
Crude palm oil for third-month delivery rose RM1 to RM2,294 per tonne. KL Kepong rose 22 sen to RM22.76, heavyweight Sime Darby gained six sen to RM8.04 but PPB Group fell four sen to RM15.52.
As for telcos, Axiata lost two sen to RM6.16, TM was flat at RM6.56 while Maxis gained three sen to RM6.55 and DiGi was up one sen to RM5.11.
Among the key regional markets,
Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 0.31% to 19,691.62;
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index rose 0.1% to 22,285.93;
Shanghai’s Composite Index rose 0.17% to 3,611.10;
Taiwan’s Taiex fell 0.87% to 8,345.85;
South Korea’s Kospi rose 0.07% to 1,964.89; and
Singapore’s Straits Times Index fell 0.79% to 2,893.70.
Spot gold fell US$1.85 to US$1,068.45.
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