KUALA LUMPUR: Blue chips wavered early Wednesday with the FBM KLCI off the early high as investors sought strong leads from funds but OSK VI, MRCB and FGV rose in active trade.
At 9.38am, the KLCI was up 0.16 of a point or 0.01% to 1,772.55. Turnover was 303.07 million shares valued at RM158.29mil. There were 233 gainers, 144 losers and 238 counters unchanged.
The US dollar hoarded hefty gains on Wednesday after strong US retail data put a Federal Reserve rate hike back on the agenda, while Asia stocks inched ahead as tensions over North Korea simmered down little, Reuters reported.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has delayed a decision on firing missiles towards Guam while he waits to see what the United States does, as Washington said any dialogue was up to Kim, the wire reported.
South Korean stocks to bounce 0.7%, though they remain well short of the record peak touched last month. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan edged up 0.2% while Japan's Nikkei dithered either side of flat.
At Bursa Malaysia, Aeon Credit
jumped 46 sen to RM12.90, BAT added 28 sen to RM44.28 while Heineken gained 16 sen to RM18.16 and Vitrox 10 sen higher at RM4.50.
OSK VI jumped 18 sen to 86 sen in active trade, MRCB adde five sen to RM.22 anf FGV advanced eight sen to RM1.65.
However, F&N fell 42 sen to RM24.28 on profit taking and MPI lost 14 sen to RM14.
KL Kepong was down 18 sen to RM24.50 on weaker third quarter earnings.
SIG Gas and Gas Malaysia lost five sen each to RM1.28 and RM2.95.
Reuters also reported oil prices edged up on Wednesday on a fall in US crude inventories, although markets were still being weighed down by general oversupply.
Brent crude futures were trading up 25 cents or 0.5% at US$51.05 per barrel at 0136 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at US$47.73 a barrel, up 18 cents, or 0.4%.
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