All key Asian markets were in the red while China markets were closed for the week.
KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia and key Asian markets closed lower on Thursday as funds shifted out from emerging markets and currencies continued to lose ground against the US dollar.
At 5pm, the FBM KLCI was down 6.19 points or 0.34% to 1,790.11. Turnover was 2.06 billion shares valued at RM2.45bil. There were 317 gainers, 528 losers and 408 counters unchanged.
Investors continued to bet that Asian currencies would weaken against the dollar, a Reuters poll showed, as hawkish comments by Federal Reserve policy makers and a steady rate hike path buttressed the greenback.
The ringgit fell 0.17% against the US dollar to 4.1465. However, the local unit climbed 0.22% to the pound sterling to 5.3754; jumped 0.56% to the euro to 4.7635 abnd e3dged uo 0.27% to the Singapore dollar at 3.0029.
At Bursa Malaysia, Axiata fell 12 sen to RM4.50 and erased 1.95 points from the KLCI and Maxis lost seven sen to RM5.75 and wiping out nearly one point. Digi shed two sen to RM4.75 and Telekom was unchanged at RM3.13.
Crude oil prices dipped with Brent and US light crude oil down 19 cents each to US$76.22 and US$86.10.
Petronas Chemical fell 10 sen to RM9.40 and wiped out 1.43 points, Petronas Dagangan lost eight sen to RM26.30 and Petronas Gas two sen lower at RM18.98. LNG carrier MISC lost 11 sen to RM5.93 and Dialog shed two sen to RM3.53. LC Titan fell 23 sen to RM4.58 and Hengyuan 17 sen to RM6.70.
Power giant Tenaga fell eight sen to RM15.50, Genting Malaysia 10 sen to RM4.99 and Genting four sen RM7.81.
As for banks, Maybank shed one sen to RM9.70, Public Bank and RHB Bank were flat at RM25 and RM5.40 while Hong Leong Bank gained two sen to RM20.60 and CIMB one sen higher at RM6.06.
Crude palm oil for third month delivery rose RM31 to RM2,230 per tonne. Among the plantations, IOI Corp, PPB Group and KL Kepong were unchanged at RM4.53, RM16.86 amd RM25.02 respectively.
Sime Plantation shed one sen to RM5.25 but Sime Darby rose two sen to RM2.65 and Sime Property unchanged at RM1.14.
However, Press Metal
climbed 20 sen to RM5.16 and gave the KLCI a 1.41 point boost. Alcom jumped 24 sen to 82 sen
Semiconductor-related KESM lost 26 sen to RM14.94 and MI 15 sen to RM2.91.
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