KUALA LUMPUR: A positive performance on Wall Street, buoyed by inflation data that came within expectations and the listing of Softbank's Arm Holdings, has helped to lift trading sentiment.
With the core US producer price index coming in line with consensus estimates, the Federal Reserve is expected to maintain the interest rate at the upcoming Federal Open Market Committee meeting next week.
Bursa Malaysia is expected to track the positive sentiment as it closes out the week, with technology stocks in particular rallying after recent profit-taking activity.
At the start of trading, the benchmark FBM KLCI started 0.49 points lower at 1,449.09 as investors digested the overnight developments.
There was some profit-taking seen in CelcomDigi down four sen to RM4.45 and Maxis sliding nine sen to RM4.15.
PETRONAS Dagangan shed 12 sen to RM12.68 while PPB dropped 10 sne ot RM15.78.
The Bursa Malaysia Technology Index meanwhile was up 0.2% to 62.96, aided by jumps in Vitrox up seven sen to RM7.69, Inari rising two sen to RM2.86 and Theta Edge climbing four sen to 67.5 sen.
Among actives, Sapura Energy
was flat at six sen, Alam Maritim rose 0.5 sen to 3.5 sen and KAB dropped one sen to 33 sen.
