KUALA LUMPUR: The local market picked up on bullish regional momentum following positive US earnings results overnight.
Asian markets were mostly higher at the close. Japan's Nikkei was up 1.3% and South Korea's Kospi gained 1% while Shanghai's Composite Index rose 0.6%.
At 5pm, the FBM KLCI closed 3.75 points higher at 1,740.59. Turnover was 2.03 billion shares valued at RM2.08bil. Market breadth was positive with 538 gainers versus 275 decliners and 363 counters unchanged.
Maybank topped the index with a four sen increase to RM9.59. Digi followed with a six sen increase to RM4.46 on a positive earnings announcement.
Meanwhile, IOI rose five sen to RM4.58 and Genting climbed three sen to RM7.29
Hong Leong Bank was one of the few decliners on the 30-stock index, dropping 26 sen to RM20.68, while Tenaga Nasional dipped two sen to RM14.60.
Among the top active counters on the stock exchange, MRCB shot up 7.5 sen to 79.5 sen. Hibiscus put on three sen to RM1.28 and Barakah
slid two sen to 10.5 sen.
Top Glove shed 10 sen to RM11.50, IJM PLantation slipped 10 sen to RM2 and Westports dropped 11 sen to RM3.51.
Oil prices rose for a fourth straight session due to an unexpected drawdown in US inventories even as US-Saudi tensions over the disappearance of prominent Saudi journalist sparked supply fears.
WTI crude rose 23 cents to US$72.15 a barrel while Brent crude gained 37 cents to US$81.78 a barrel.
In currencies, the ringgit was stable against the US dollar at 4.1510. It slid 0.5% against the pound sterling at 5.4561 and 0.1% against the Singapore dollar at 3.0213.
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