KUALA LUMPUR: Global equities markets had a harrowing week from the fallout on Wall Street and Bursa Malaysia also saw investor sentiment battered while the ringgit lost ground.
At 5pm, the KLCI was down 19.62 points or 1.07% to 1,819.82 while its year-to-date gains have whittled to 1.28%. Turnover declined to 2.45 billion shares valued at RM2.67bil.
The broader market continued to stay cautious with decliners beating advancers nine to two or 900 losers to 208 gainers and 312 counters unchanged.
The battered equities market also spread to the ringgit. The local unit fell 0.32% to the US dollar to 3.9395 and was down 0.58% to the euro at 4.8338. It was down 0.18% to the Singapore dollar at 2.9595. However, it fell the most against the pound sterling, sliding 1.1% to 5.5012.
Across Asia to Europe, markets in the red. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index tumbled 3.1 percent on Friday and capped its biggest weekly drop since the depths of the global financial crisis in 2008, as tumult on Wall Street rippled across Asia, Reuters reported.
In China, the Shanghai Composite Index tumbled 4.0% and the blue-chip CSI300 ended the day down 4.3%.
Meanwhile, adding to the cloud of pessimism was Malaysia's industrial output in December, which grew at a much slower pace. The industrial production index growth decelerated to 19-months low.
In December, industrial production rose by 2.8% on-year, slowest since May 2016, and below expectations of a 4.6% increase.
The slowdown in the month was due to unfavourable base effects, year-end holidays and moderating exports growth, MIDF Research said.
At Bursa Malaysia, Petronas Gas was the top loser, down 52 sen to RM17.48 and erasing 1.83 points from the KLCI.
However, Petronas Dagangan added 38 sen to RM24.90 and Petronas Chemical four sen to RM8. Petron fell 24 sen to RM10.98.
US light crude oil fell 59 cents to US$60.56 and Brent lost 49 cents to US$64.32.
Maxis fell 19 sen to RM5.88 and wiped out 2.64 points. Axiata and Digi lost six sen each to RM5.42 and RM5.91 while Telekom was down five sen to RM5.91.
Among the banks, CIMB fell the most, sliding 24 sen to RM6.86 and pushing the KLCI down 3.94 points. Public Bank fell 18 sen to RM21.80, Hong Leong Bank 10 sen to RM17.90, Maybank six sen to RM10.02, RHB Bank four sen to RM5.17 and AmBank three sen to RM4.42.
Crude palm oil for third month delivery rose RM6 to RM2,501 per tonne. IOI Corp was flat at RM4.68, KL Kepong two sen lower at RM25.22 while PPB Group fell eight sen to RM17.40.
Genting Bhd
skidded 22 sen to RM8.78 and Genting Malaysia fell nine sen to RM5.25.
Carlsberg and Ajinomoto fell 32 sen each to RM16.82 and RM19.20 but Nestle rose RM1.10 to RM116.10, Dutch Lady 22 sen to RM62.20 and F&N 10 sen to a record high of RM30.
Top Glove climbed 18 sen to RM9.30 and Scientex 12 sen higher at RM8.17.
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