KUALA LUMPUR: The FBM KLCI pared gains in the final hour of trading on Thursday ahead of Budget 2023 tomorrow.
The benchmark index closed down a negligible 0.12 of-a-point to 1,420.43, its intraday low. The index hit a high of 1,428.13.
In the wider market, gainers outnumbered losers 435 to 328, with 2.25 billion shares worth RM1.59bil changing hands.
The broadly upbeat mood comes as investors hope for goodies from the election-friendly budget.
Nestle was the top gainer on Bursa Malaysia, jumping 60 sen to RM130.50, followed by Panasonic Manufacturing
, which climbed 48 sen to RM22.98, Heineken, which rose 30 sen to RM23.80 and Carlsberg added 22 sen to RM22.62.
ACE Market debutant Cosmos Technology closed 21 sen higher at 56 sen with 132.67 million shares done.
Among the losers, Batu Kawan shed 60 sen to RM20.40, Malaysian Pacific Industries eased 38 sen to RM28.52, PETRONAS Dagangan fell 36 sen to RM20.88 and PETRONAS Gas lost 26 sen to RM16.36.
Meanwhile, Brent crude rose 37 cents to US$93.74 per barrel while US West Intermediate crude (WTI) added 25 cents to US$88.01 a barrel.
In the region, Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 0.7%, while South Korea’s Kospi index closed up 1.02%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 0.42% and Singapore’s Straits Times Index closed 0.05% lower. Chinese markets remain closed for holidays.
