KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia ended April on a firm note on Friday, with the FBM KLCI chalking up gains of 1.72% during the month, boosted by strong foreign buying especially banks and Tenaga Nasional.
At 5pm, the KLCI was up 0.14 point to 1,768.06 – or 30 points during April from 1,740 end-March.
Turnover was 3.10 billion shares valued at RM2.89bil. There were 544 gainers, 403 losers and 358 counters unchanged.
On the external front, key Asian markets were mixed. Hong Kong's benchmark stock index eased on Friday from the previous session's 20-month high that was aided by continuous money inflows from mainland China, Reuters reported.
The ringgit rose 0.17% against the US dollar to 4.3395 from 4.3468 but slipped against the pound sterling, down 0.32% to 5.6204 from 5.6027 and declined 0.19% versus the Singapore dollar to 3.1103 from 3.1133 and weakened 0.25% against the euro to 4.7304 from 4.7422.
As for consumer stocks, Dutch Lady
rose 60 sen to RM57.60, BAT 44 sen higher at RM45.44 abd Carlsberg 34 sen to RM15.30 but Nesle fell 20 sen to RM82 and F&N 22 sen lower at RM24.88.
RHB Bank rose 16 sen to RM5.50 and pushed the KLCI up 1.09 points. Maybank added four sen to RM9.58, Ambank gained three sen to RM5.48 while Public Bank and Hong Leong Bank were flat at RM19.96 and RM13.80 while CIMB shed one sen to RM5.74.
Tenaga rose eight sen to RM13.94 and added 0.76 of a point, Genting Malaysia rose four sen to RM5.87 and Genting Bhd one sen higher at RM9.84.
Oil prices rebounded on Friday after dropping to a one-month low the previous day, prompting investors to buy at cheaper levels ahead of a May OPEC meeting at which producers could extend output cuts, Reuters reported.
Gains were also helped by a weaker dollar and signs that non-OPEC member Russia was fully compliant with output limits agreed among major producers late last year.
US light crude oil gained 34 cents to US$49.31 and Brent edged up 25 cents to US$51.69.
Petronas Gas fell 26 sen to RM18.48 and Petronas Chemicals lost eight sen to RM7.30 while Petronas Dagangan was flat at RM24.06. Petron Malaysia gained 20 sen to RM6.80.
Southern Steel's impressive turnaround in its financial results saw it jumping 18 sen to RM1.57.
Crude palm oil for third-month delivery fell RM16 to RM2,490 per tonne. Sime Darby and KL Kepong were flat at RM9.33 and RM24.52, PPB Group fell 10 sen to RM16.90 and IOI Corp two sen lower at RM4.59. TAHPS ended the day down 11 sen to RM7.11.
Profit taking saw Scientex fell 35 sen to RM8.29 on profit taking.
As for telcos, Telekom rose one sen to RM6.46 but Digi and Axiata shed one sen each to RM5.14 and RM5.15 while Maxis lost six sen to RM6.38.
Among the key regional markets,
Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.29% to 19,196.74;
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index lost 0.34% to 24,615.13;
CSI 300 fel 0.2% to 3,439.75;
Shanghai’s Composite Index inched up 0.08% to 3,154.66;
Hang Seng China Enterprise shed 0.4% to 10,219.89;
Taiwan’s Taiex rose 0.12% to 9,872;
South Korea’s Kospi shed 0.18% to 2,205.44 and
Singapore’s Straits Times Index inched up 0.13% to 3,175.44.
Spot gold rose US$2.11 to US$1,266.41.
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