The British pound had collapsed no less than 15 US cents, easily the biggest fall in living memory.
KUALA LUMPUR: Trading on Bursa Malaysia shrank in the morning session on Tuesday amid weaker broader market as investors stayed on the sidelines ahead of uncertainties on the external front.
At 12.30pm, the KLCI was down 0.23 of a point or 0.01% to 1,634. Turnover was 620.03 million shares valued at RM390.48mil, the lowest in recent months and sharply lower in value from Monday's RM520mil. Decliners led advancers 369 to 248 while 326 counters were unchanged.
China and Hong Kong stocks edged up on Tuesday morning, as investor sentiment in global equity markets continued to improve on growing expectations that British voters will opt to remain in the European Union in this week's referendum.
The ringgit firmed up against the major currencies. It was at 4.0518 to the US dollar from 4.0625 the previous day while it firmed up against the pound sterling at 5.9403 from 5.9523 and it was quoted at 3.0171 to the Singapore dollar from 3.0269. It advanced against the euro at 4.5905 from 4.6105.
Among the banks and finance stocks, HLFG fell 10 sen to RM14.06. CIMB and AmBank shed one sen each to RM4.31 and RM4.39, Maybank and Hong Leong Bank were flat at RM8.20 and RM13.24 but Public Bank gained six sen to RM19.22 and .
Crude palm oil for third-month delivery fell RM13 to RM2,387 – the lowest since Jan 12 this year on weaker demand for palm oil.
IJM Plantations fell the most, down 16 sen to RM3.28 with just 100 shares done, KL Kepong and PPB Group eight sen lower to RM23.02 and RM16.22, IOI Corp two sen lower at RM4.35 but Sime Darby added three sen to RM7.52.
As for consumer stocks, F&N lost 14 sen to RM25.36 but Nestle added 30 sen to RM77 and BAT 16 sen higher at RM50.52.
US light crude oil fell 21 cents to US$49.16 and Brent fell 24 sen to US$50.41. Petronas Gas shed two sen to RM21.72, Petronas Dagangan was flat at RM23.38 while Petronas Chemicals edged up two sen RM6.42.
Among the heavyweights, Tenaga Nasional shed two sen to RM13.98. As for telcos, Axiata gave up five sen to RM5.53, Digi was flat at RM4.68, Maxis and Telekom added one sen each to RM5.74 and RM6.77.
Among the key regional markets,
Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 0.49% to 16,042.99;
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index added 0.47% to 20,607.52;
CSI 300 added 0.44% to 3,126.45;
Shanghai’s Composite Index gained 0.26% to 2,896.29;
Shenzhen Composite edged up 0.08% to 1,910.56;
Hang Seng China Enterprise gained 0.41% to 8,675.26;
Taiwan’s Taiex gained 0.44% to 8,663.48;
South Korea’s Kospi shed 0.11% to 1,978.92 and
Singapore’s Straits Times Index shed 0.13% to 2,797.09.
Spot gold fell US$3.36 to US$1,286.54.
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