For the month, the FBM KLCI is down 3.18% and year-to-date, it is down 8.02%.
KUALA LUMPUR: Profit taking on Friday saw the FBM KLCI giving up about half of the previous day's gains, in line with the key Asian markets, dragged down by losses in Genting and IOI Corp.
At 5pm, the KLCI was down 7.29 points or 0.42% to 1,708.38. Turnover surged to 3.41 billion shares valued at RM2.63bil. The broader market was weaker, with 508 decliners to 407 advancers and 349 counters unchanged.
The ringgit slipped further against the US dollar. It fell to 4.4555 against the greenback from 4.4500. However, it rose against the pound sterling to 5.4588 from 5.4685; advanced to 3.1496 against the Singapore dollar from 3.1540 and edged higher against the Euro to 4.6851 from 4.6908.
Hong Kong's benchmark share index closed at a one-month low on Friday, pulled down by profit-taking pressure as investors fretted that anticipated higher U.S. interest rates will raise borrowing costs, Reuters reported.
At Bursa Malaysia, Genting Bhd
fell 12 sen to RM9.16 and erased 0.76 of a point from the KLCI while Genting Malaysia ost nine sen to RM5.29 and wiped out 0.9 point.
Tenaga rose four sen to RM13.62 and IHH three sen higher at RM5.89.
Crude palm oil for third-month delivery rose RM5 to RM2,867 per tonne. PPB Group fell 26 sen to RM16.54, IOI Corp three sen lower at RM4.70, Sime Darby shed two sen to RM9.10 but KL Kepong gained six sen to RM24.38.
US light crude oil rose 14 cents to US$52.75 and Brent gained 23 sen to US$55.31. Petronas Gas fell 16 sen to RM19.80, Petronas Dagangan lost four sen to RM25.10 and Petronas Chemicals rose two sen to RM7.40. SapuraKencana added two sen to RM1.97 while Bumi Aramda was flat at 72 sen.
BAT fell the most, down 60 sen to RM48.20 while Dutch Lady lost two sen to RM55.40,
Cement players also fell with Lafarge Malaysia down 21 sen to RM6.39 and Tasek 14 sen lower at RM13.02.
Among the financial and banks, Aeon Credit fell the most, down 28 sen to RM15.42, Public Bank 10 sen lower at RM19.88, AmBank three sen to RM4.91, Maybank and Hong Leong Bank two sen each to RM8.73 and RM13.46. However, RHB Bank and CIMB rose two sen each to RM5.10 and RM5.22. Affin jumped 14 sen to RM2.77.
As for telcos, Axiata fell five sen to RM4.62, Digi three sen lower at RM4.99 but Telekom and Maxis rose one sen each to RM6.23 and RM6.33.
DRB-Hicom lost five sen to RM1.40 on news that billionaire Li Shufu said he’s planning to pull Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. out of a bid for Proton Holdings Bhd.
Iskandar Waterfront City surged 27 sen to RM1.64 in active trade prompting Bursa Malaysia Securities to query it.
Among the key regional markets,
Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.49% to 19,469.17;
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index lost 0.74% to 23,552.72;
CSI 300 fell 0.21% to 3,427.86;
Shanghai’s Composite Index was down 0.36% to 3,218.31;
Hang Seng China Enterprise fell 1% to 10,144.47;
Taiwan’s Taiex lost 0.45% to 9,648.21;
South Korea’s Kospi was the top loser, down 1.14% to 2,078.75 and
Singapore’s Straits Times Index ended down 0.45% to 3,122.34.
Spot gold fell US$6.78 to US$1,227.47.
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