KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia ended the first half of 2022 on a disappointing note as selling pressure picked up the pace while key Asian markets also closed lower.
The bellwether FBM KLCI has so far this year lost 123.31 points or 7.86% from 1,567.53 on Dec 31, 2021.
The index closed the final day of the first half 7.26 points lower or 0.5% to close at 1,444.22.
In the broader market, laggards outnumbered gainers 521-to-327; about 2.26 billion shares changed hands valued at RM1.97bil.
“Markets are getting slammed as we head into the quarter-end, with global growth worries dominating and gas flows into Europe topping the laundry list of concerns on the continent,” SPI Asset Management managing director Stephen Innes said.
He said the broader narrative remains unchanged, with growth worries dominating on the back of central bank tightening and the Fed road show pushing its hawkish front loader tone.
“More broadly, price action continues to act poorly with growth worries seeing a bid to bonds, while commodities get sold on a meaningful bounce on the dollar. Still, given the headwinds facing other global currencies with stagflation in UK and EU, the yen is catching a bid,” Inne said.
Analysts remain sanguine over the next six months. Hong Leong Investment Bank Research expects the FBM KLCI to hit 1,610 points while Rakuten Trade projected FBM KLCI to reach 1,630 points by end-2022.
On Bursa Malaysia, Nestle lost 70 sen to RM132.60, Kuala Lumpur Kepong fell 50 sen to RM21.94, Petronas Dagangan eased 30 sen to RM21.12 and Hengyuan shed 18 sen to RM4.85.
Among the gainers, BLD Plantation
jumped 39 sen to RM9.01, Aeon Credit rose 30 sen to RM13.88, Genting Plantations added 16 sen to RM6.45 and PPB advanced 16 sen to RM15.86.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell 1.15%
Elsewhere in the region, Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 1.54%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index closed down 0.62%, South Korea’s Kospi lost 1.91% and Singapore’s Straits Times Index declined 0.75%.
