KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's benchmark index erased earlier gains to enter the lunch break in positive territory as positive sentiment kept the market ahead despite profit-taking activities.
At 12.30pm, the FBM KLCI was up 0.95 points to 1,452.22 while the overall market was negative with 448 decliners to 317 gainers.
Trading volume was 1.65 billion shares valued at RM949.41mil.
While lower liners were subdued, increased optimism over the US economy following the release of better-than-expected economic data has improved buying interest in blue chips.
Press Metal
was the top gainer on the FBM KLCI after rising 10 sen to RM5.06 while Public bank added three sen to RM4.14.
Plantations stocks were subdued with Kuala Lumpur Kepong dropping 26 sen to RM23.24, IOI shedding four sen to RM4.13 and Sime Darby Plantation falling five sen to RM4.55.
On the broader market, AirAsia X maintained its rally, gaining one sen to RM2.34 while Capital A was unchanged at 91.5 sen.
Top actives were KNM rising 0.5 sen to nine sen, AT Systemization unchanged at one sen and UEM Sunrise up 1.5 sen to 50 sen.
Key Asia markets however were on the backfoot as newspaper sources said the Bank of Japan could discuss ending its super-easy stimulus policies.
Japan's Nikkei dove 2.3% to 32,137 and South Korea's Kospi fell 0.5% to 2,591.
China's main index however rose 1.4% to 3,261 while Hong Kong's Hang Seng jumped 0.9% to 19,814, as investors continued to buy up shares on policy support moves by Beijing.
