KUALA LUMPUR: The FBM KLCI closed the first half of 2023 on a disappointing note as selling pressure picked up the pace.
The 30-stock index closed down 11.69, or 0.84% at 1,376.68 on the final day of the first half. The benchmark index has so far lost 118.81 points, or 7.9% from 1,495.49 on Dec 30, 2022.
In the broader market, decliners outnumbered gainers 506-to-348; about 2.65 billion shares changed hands valued at RM2.03bil.
In today’s session, 20 of the KLCI-component stocks closed lower while eight counters chalked up gains.
Stock market data showed foreign funds were net sellers at RM36mil but local institutions were net buyers at RM5mil and retail investors at RM31mil on Wednesday.
Top losers on Bursa Malaysia included Kuala Lumpur Kepong, which slid 20 sen to RM21.96, Dutch Lady
fell 18 sen to RM22.34 and Malaysian Pacific Industries eased 18 sen to RM27.82.
Hextar Technologies surged RM1.28 to RM27.50, Nestle gained 40 sen to RM131, PETRONAS Dagangan rose 26 sen to RM22.20 and Negri Sembilan Oil Palms added 17 sen to RM3.55.
Meanwhile, the ringgit was quoted at 4.6608, up 0.24% against the US dollar.
Among the key regional markets:
Japan’s Nikkei 225 closed down 0.14% to 33,189.04;
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 0.09% to 18,916.43;
Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.62% to 3,202.06;
Taiwan’s Taiex fell 0.16% to 16,915.54 and;
South Korea’s Kospi closed up 0.56% to 2,564.28 points.
