KUALA LUMPUR: Genting Bhd
and Maybank pushed the FBM KLCI slightly into the red at the close of Monday's trade but the broader market was mixed and the ringgit climbed against the US dollar.
At 5pm, the KLCI was down 1.78 points or 0.1% to 1,719.47 – making it the worst performer for the day on late selling pressure. Turnover was 1.65 billion shares valued at RM1.96bil. There were 410 gainers, 398 losers and 417 counters unchanged.
Stock market data showed foreign funds were net sellers at RM35.79mil but local institutions were net buyers at RM31.99mil and retailers at just RM3.8mil
The ringgit advanced against the US dollar, pound sterling and Singapore dollar but slipped against the euro. It gained 0.24% against the greenback to 4.0778 and jumped 1.09% against the pound sterling to 5.4530 and edged up 0.04% to the Singapore dollar at 3.0177. However, it fell 0.32% to the euro at 4.8098.
On the external front, Hong Kong stocks rose the most in nearly three weeks on Monday, as index heavyweight Tencent rebounded for the third consecutive session, Reuters reported. China and Japan also ended higher.
US light crude oil fell 39 cents to US$56.97 and Brent was 35 sen lower at US$63.05. Petronas Chemicals shed one sen to RM7.41, Petronas Dagangan was flat RM24.50 while Petronas Gas added four sen to RM16.82. Hengyuan was the top gainer, up 52 sen to RM11.80 while Petron added 32 sen to RM12.78.
Among the heavyweights, Genting Bhd fell eight sen to RM8.71 and erased 0.52 of a point from the KLCI. Genting Malaysia gained four sen to RM5.29 and Tenaga lost two sen to RM15.50.
As for banks, Maybank fell two sen to RM9.25 and wiped out one-third of a point from the KLCI, CIMB shed one sen to RM20.02, RHB Bank seven sen to RM4.78 but AmBank gained two sen to RM4.15 and Hong Leong Bank added 36 sen to RM16.36.
Sime Property and Sime Plantations closed nine sen higher at RM1.37 and RM5.38 but Sime Darby lost six sen to RM2.12.
Sapura Energy rose two sen to 85 sen with 52.51 million shares done after last week's heavy selldown following the weak quarterly results.
Among the consumer stocks, BAT fell the most, down 38 sen to RM37.70, Heineken lost 26 sen to RM18.28 and Ajinomoto 20 sen lower at RM20.58. Dutch Lady added 36 sen to RM61.50 and Nestle 28 sen up at RM99.74.
Crude palm oil for third month futures fell RM10 to RM2,469 per tonne. KL Kepong fell eight sen to RM24.38, IOI Corp two sen lower at RM4.47 but PPB Group added two sen to RM16.82.
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