KUALA LUMPUR: The FBM KLCI stayed positive over the early session, on track snap five consecutive days of losses even as regional markets slumped amid expectations that US rate cuts may taper off in the new year.
At 12.30pm, the main index was up 6.94 points to 1,609.02, putting it on track to ending the week above the 1,600 key support level.
The broader market was also skewed towards the gainers with 455 stocks rising and 443 falling. The share turnover was 1.59 billion changing hands for RM1.04bil.
Among the blue chips, Tenaga Nasional rose 22 sen to RM13.78 while Sunway gained 13 sen to RM4.73 and MISC added 12 sen to RM7.52.
There was also strong buying interest in the stock exchange operator, Bursa Malaysia, rising 16 sen to RM8.88, while Sunway Construction gained 15 sen to RM4.50 and Gamuda added 15 sen to RM9.75.
Top Glove, which was among the most active stocks, was up four sen to RM1.36.
In key Asian markets, China's composite index slipped 1.49% to 3,409 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 1.66% to 20,057.
Japan's Nikkei shed 1.07% to 39,418 while Singapore's Straits Times added 0.2% to 3,816.
