KUALA LUMPUR: Fund buying of Genting and BAT pushed the FBM KLCI again to the highest since late April 2016 as key Asian markets picked up pace, especially China, while crude oil prices advanced.
At 5pm, the KLCI was up 4.9 points or 0.29% to 1,712.58 – highest since April 21, 2016. However, the KLCI was then on a downward trend and spiralled downwards to hit a low of 1,632 on May 9.
Turnover was 2.49 billion shares valued at RM2.22bil. There were 466 gainers, 452 losers and 333 counters unchanged.
The ringgit weakened against the US dollar to 4.4583 from the previous close of 4.4530 but advanced against the pound sterling to 5.5537 from 5.5579, gained against the Singapore dollar to 3.1447 from 3.1451. It was slightly firmer against the euro at 4.7358 and 4.7426.
Genting Malaysia rose 13 sen to RM5.38 and pushed the KLCI up 1.31 points while Genting Bhd
ended the day up 17 sen to RM9 and nudged the KLCI up 1.08 points. Tenaga Nasional added six sen to RM13.54.
Among the financial stocks and banks, Aeon Credit rose 28 sen to RM15.72 but HLFG lost 20 sen to RM15.
Hong Leong Bank gained eight sen to RM13.46, RHB Bank five sen to RM5.14, Public Bank four sen higher at RM20.04 while CIMB eked out one sen to RM5.09. AmBank was flat at RM4,58 and Maybank fell four sen to RM8.42.
BAT was the top gainer for the day, climbing RM1.92 to RM51.08, Dutch Lasdy added 38 sen to RM54.70 and Ajinomoto 24 sen higher at RM14.40 but F&N fell 40 sen to RM22.68.
US light crude oil advanced 25 cents to US$53.65 and Brent edged up 35 cents to US$56.16.
Petronas Dagangan rose 28 sen to RM24.24, Petronas Gas was flat at RM20.64 and Petronas Chemicals shed two sen to RM7.48. Petron lost 30 sen to RM4.70, Shell Refining fell 14 sen to RM2.84. Bumi Armada rose 2.5 sen to 75 sen with 124.9 milion shares done.
Crude palm oil for third-month delivery fell RM1 to RM2,858. Genting Plantations fell 16 sen to RM11.10 and its warrants 14 sen lower at RM3.23, IOI Corp was flat at RM4.63, PPB Group added four sen to RM16.40 and Sime Darby five sen higher at RM9.20.
Among the key regional markets,
Japan’s Nikkei 225inched up 0.09% to 19,251.08;
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index added 0.47% to 24,146.08;
CSI 300 jumped 1.46% to 3,471.39;
Shanghai’s Composite Index gained 1.18% to 3,239.96;
Hang Seng China Enterprise climbed 0.82% to 10,445.48;
Taiwan’s Taiex fell 0.27% to 9,753.20;
South Korea’s Kospi advanced 0.18% to 2,084.39 and
Singapore’s Straits Times Index fell 0.35% to 3,096.69.
Spot gold ros US$1.56 to US$1,236.16.
Limited time offer:
Just RM5 per month.
