FBM KLCI rebounds from two days of losses

KUALA LUMPUR: The FBM KLCI rebounded on Thursday following two straight days of losses as investors picked up on sold-down counters.

At 5pm, the benchmark index rose 3.66 points, or 0.26% to 1,406.69 buoyed by gains in PETRONAS-linked stocks. The index has risen to an intraday high of 1,409.34.

In the broader market, gainers outnumber laggards 470-to-443; about 3.6 billion shares changed hands in deals worth RM2.07bil.

PETRONAS Chemicals lifted the KLCI by 2.2008 points after rising 19 sen to RM6.50 while PETRONAS Dagangan added 20 sen to RM22.40, pushing the index 0.2877 points.

IOI Corp rose 11 sen to RM3.998, Telekom Malaysia gained seven sen to RM4.91 and CelcomDigi climbed six sen to RM4.32.

On the broader market, Ajinomoto rose 28 sen to RM15.98, Rapid added 22 sen to RM22.38 and United Plantations gained 20 sen to RM15.90.

Among the losers, Malaysian Pacific Industries slid 48 sen to RM30.50, ViTrox fell 26 sen to RM8.04, Malayan Cement lost 24 sen to RM3.05 and Carlsberg eased 18 sen to RM20.50.

On the external front, MSCI’s Asia ex-Japan index was higher by 0.04%.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 closed down 1.23% to 32,490.52 while South Korea’s Kospi fell 0.31% to 2,600.23.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng ended 0.13% lower at 18,928.02 while China’s CSI300 index fell 0.71% to 3,823.69.