KUALA LUMPUR: Genting Malaysia and Genting Bhd
dragged the FBM KLCI into the red at the close on Thursday despite gains in Maybank and Petronas Gas but trading volume rebounded on rising interest again in penny stocks and lower liners.
At 5pm, the KLCI was down one point or 0.06% to 1,767.92. Turnover was 3.45 billion shares valued at RM2.77bil. There were 448 gainers, 448 losers and 381 counters unchanged.
European shares retreated from 20-month highs on Thursday with financials and commodity-related stocks the main drag on the benchmark index, Reuters reported.
China stocks reversed earlier losses to end up on Thursday, as a strong rebound in small-caps lifted sentiment amid lingering concerns about economic growth and tighter regulations.
The ringgit rose against the US dollar to 4.3468 from 4.3475 and edged up against the Singapore dollar at 3.1133 from 3.1195 but fell against the pound sterling at 5.6027 from 5.5745 and weakened against the euro to 4.7422 from 4.7415.
Genting Malaysia lost 19 sen to RM5.83 and erased 1.86 points from the KLCI while Genting Bhd was down 13 sen to RM9.83 and wiped out 0.8 of a point. Tenaga added two sen to RM13.86. IHH Healthcare was up six sen to RM6.20.
US light crude oil fell 48 cents to US$49.14 while Brent lost 55 cents to US$51.27. Petronas Chemicals fell two sen to RM7.38, Petronas Dagangan was flat at RM24.06 while Petronas Gas climbed 34 sen to RM18.74.
As for banks, Maybank added six sen to RM9.54 and nudged the KLCI up 1.01 points, Hong Leong Bank two sen higher at RM13.80, CIMB and Public Bank were flat at RM5.75 and RM19.96, RHB Bank shed two sen to RM5.34. Insurer Allianz added 20 sen to RM11.50.
Among the consumers, BAT fell RM1 to RM45, Dutch Lady 24 sen lower at RM57 while Nestle lost 16 sen to RM82.30.
Poultry company CAB Cakaran and its shares were up 18 sen each to RM2.63 and RM2.03.
Stretch film maker and property company Scientex lost 31 sen to RM8.64 while chip maker MPI fell 18 sen to RM12.
Vitrox was the star of the day jumping 34 sen to RM5.68.
Crude palm oil for third-month delivery fell RM10 to RM2,504 per tonne. IOI Corp rose one sen to RM4.61, KL Kepong and Sime Darby were flat at RM24.52 and RM9.33 while PPB Group lost 16 sen to RM17.
As for telcos, Axiata rose two sen to RM5.16, Maxis one sen higher at RM6.44, Digi shed one sen to RM5.15 while Telekom eased two sen to RM6.45.
Among the key regional markets,
Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.19% to 19,251.87;
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index rose 0.49% to 24,698.48;
CSI 300 edged up 0.03% to 3,446.72;
Shanghai’s Composite Index added 0.36% to 3,152.19;
Hang Seng China Enterpriselost 0.55% to 10,261.25;
Taiwan’s Taiex added 0.04% to 9,860.62;
South Korea’s Kospi inched up 0.07% to 2,209.46 and
Singapore’s Straits Times Index eased 0.08% to 3,171.36.
Spot gold fell US$4.71 to US$1,264.51.
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