KL shares end higher, KLCI up 5.39 points

KUALA LUMPUR: The FBM KLCI finished higher on Monday amid mixed performance from its regional peers as investors looked ahead to a key reading on U.S. inflation.

At 5pm, the benchmark index rose 5.39 points, or 0.39% to 1,383.06. The market traded within a range of 9.38 points between an intra-day high of 1,386.94 and a low of 1,377.56 during the session.

Market breadth was positive with 405 gainers, 377 losers and 454 counters unchanged on the Bursa Malaysia. Turnover was at 2.24 billion shares valued at RM1.51bil.

Gainers in the FBM KLCI component stocks were led by Kuala Lumpur Kepong, which rose 36 sen to RM22.70. Nestle gained 30 sen to RM130.90, PETRONAS Dagangan added 10 sen to RM21.96 and Dialog climbed nine sen to RM2.20.

Laggards in the KLCI component stocks were led by Hong Leong Bank, Axiata and Telekom Malaysia.

On the broader market, F&N rose 20 sen to RM25.40, Uchi Technologies added 13 sen to RM3.57, Hextar Technologies lost 40 sen to RM27.10 and Heineken Malaysia fell 32 sen to RM25.52.

Newly listed SkyWorld Development closed down six sen, or 7.5% at 74 sen. It is the most active counter on Bursa Malaysia with 110.51 million shares traded.

Elsewhere in the region, Japan’s Nikkei dropped 0.61% to 32,189.73 while South Korea’s Kospi closed down 0.24% at 2,520.70.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was up 0.62% at 18,479.72.

China’s main Shanghai Composite index closed up 0.22% at 3,203.70 while its blue-chip CSI300 index ended up 0.49% to 3,844.33.