KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia and key Asian markets fell in early Friday trade as investors retreated to the sidelines in the absence of any positive news from the US-China trade talks.
At 9.05am, the KLCI was down 5.57 points or 0.33% to 1,687.82. Turnover was 69.11 million shares valued at RM42.84mil. There were 73 gainers, 125 losers and 109 counters unchanged.
Asian stocks slipped as investors fretted about a broadening global economic slowdown, with sentiment not helped by the absence of any positive signs for a resolution in the US-China trade row, Reuters reported.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan shed 0.3 percent, easing back from a four-month peak touched the previous day. The index stood little changed on the week. Japan's Nikkei fell 1.2%.
At Bursa, BAT fell 46 sen to RM37.54 with 100 shares done, Nestle lost 40 sen to RM148.60.
Genting Plantations fell 28 sen to RM10.16 and KL Kepong 26 sen to RM24.44 but FGV gained one sen to RM1.08 in active trade. PPB added eight sen to RM18.28m UMCCA four sen to RM5.50 and Sime Plantation three sen to RM5.18.
HLFG lost 24 sen to RM19.48, Tenaga 16 sen to RM13.26, MISC and Axiata 15 sen each to RM13.26 and RM6.81 while MAHB was down seven sen to RM7.87.
Bumi Armada
edged up one sen to 23 sen and it was the most active with 13.75 million shares done.
Sime Darby rose two sen to RM2.24 in active trade. Scientex added nine sen to RM8.84 and Naim five sen to 57.5 sen.
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