KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia extended its decline to end lower today, weighed by industrial products and services as well as healthcare sectors, ahead of the release of the US Consumer Price Index (CPI) data tonight.
At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) eased 5.77 points or 0.36 per cent to 1,603.20 from yesterday’s close of 1,608.97.
The index opened 5.78 points lower at 1,603.19 and moved between 1,598.93 and 1,605.01 today.
Market breadth was negative as decliners trounced advancers 652 to 419, while 489 counters were unchanged, 917 untraded and 21 suspended.
Turnover fell to 2.59 billion units valued at RM2.46 billion versus 2.74 billion units valued at RM2.64 billion yesterday.
UOB Kay Hian Wealth Advisors' head of investment research Mohd Sedek Jantan said market activity remained subdued, with trading volume staying below the three-billion-share mark, reflecting cautious investor sentiment.
"However, the technology sector continued to gain traction as optimism grew over the possibility of an interest rate cut by the US Federal Reserve at next week’s meeting.
"This drove Bursa Malaysia’s Technology Index to close 0.50 per cent higher, indicating sustained interest in growth sectors despite broader market weakness," he told Bernama.
Back home, he said Malaysia’s wholesale and retail trade sector demonstrated resilience, with total sales reaching RM150.1 billion in October 2024, up 5.5 per cent year-on-year.
"Growth was broad-based across all sub-sectors, with retail trade expanding by 7.1 per cent, wholesale trade rising by 4.8 per cent, and motor vehicles advancing by 2.7 per cent.
"This solid performance reflects robust consumer demand and increased business activity, which could positively impact stock prices in retail, consumer goods, and related sectors, boosting broader market sentiment in the near term," he added.
Among the heavyweights, IHH Healthcare and Sunway Bhd
eased 28 sen each to RM7.16 and RM4.51 respectively, Petronas Chemicals shed 11 sen to RM4.98, but Public Bank added 9.0 sen to RM4.61 and Tenaga Nasional gained 8.0 sen to RM13.76.
Of the active stocks, Dagang Nexchange rose 4.5 sen to 40 sen, MYEG perked up half-a-sen to 94 sen, MBSB climbed one sen to 75 sen, while KPJ Healthcare dipped 23 sen to RM2.27, and AIMFLEX inched down half-a-sen to 15 sen.
On the index board, the FBM Emas Index slid 42.57 points to 12,297.48, the FBMT 100 Index decreased 44.0 points to 11,979.31, the FBM 70 Index dropped 70.79 points to 18,423.01, the FBM Emas Shariah Index declined 87.33 points to 12,269.24, but the FBM ACE Index rose by 6.44 points to 5,293.25.
Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index increased 50.22 points to 19,152.66, the Plantation Index slipped 83.97 points to 7,641.19, the Energy Index inched down 0.22 of-a-point to 822.29, and the Industrial Products and Services Index erased 2.21 points to 174.0.
The Main Market volume improved to 1.51 billion units worth RM2.25 billion against yesterday’s 1.46 billion units worth RM2.38 billion.
Warrants turnover slipped to 737.61 million units valued at RM92.05 million from 880.21 million units valued at RM121.0 million previously.
The ACE Market volume dwindled to 341.79 million units worth RM114.04 million compared with 402.21 million units worth RM138.63 million yesterday.
Consumer products and services counters accounted for 189.64 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products and services (236.66 million), construction (108.50 million), technology (363.44 million), SPAC (nil), financial services (99.43 million), property (159.86 million), plantation (33.50 million), REITs (16.74 million), closed/fund (8,500), energy (94.48 million), healthcare (123.73 million), telecommunications and media (18.35 million), transportation and logistics (24.19 million), utilities (38.01 million), and business trusts (13,700). - Bernama
