KUALA LUMPUR: The FBM KLCI started positively this morning but could not sustain its momentum due to profit-taking.
The benchmark index eased 3.86 points, or 0.24% to 1,625.96 after reaching a 3-year high yesterday.
Market breadth turned negative as losers overpowered the gainers on a ratio of 795-to-413 stocks. Traded volumes stood at 4.66 billion shares worth RM3.52bil.
Dealers said the local bourse which tracked the broad performance of key Asian markets, was weighed down by banking and telecommunication stocks.
The MSCI's Asia ex-Japan stock index was lower by 0.43%.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.2% to 41,275.08 while South Korea’s Kospi closed up 0.18% at 2,866.09.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was down 1.6% at 17,727.98 and China’s CSI300 index was up 0.63% to 3,498.28. Singapore’s Straits Times Index fell 0.26% to 3,490.89 points.
On Bursa Malaysia, Allianz lost 34 sen to RM21.70, F&N fell 26 sen to RM29.98, PETRONAS Gas gave up 24 sen to RM18.12 and Hong Leong Bank declined 20 sen to RM19.10.
Nestle jumped RM1.10 to RM122, Bursa Malaysia rose 31 sen to RM9.93, Hong Leong Industries added 18 sen to RM11.36 and Kimlun gained 18 sen to RM1.62.
Among the actives, XOX tumbled 33.33% to one sen with 135.8 million shares traded while Bintai climbed two sen to 13.5 sen with 83.21 million shares done.
