KUALA LUMPUR: The FBM KLCI bounced higher after a weak start with financial stocks and YTL-related counters in the lead.
At 12.30pm, the benchmark index was up 4.35 points to 1,557.04 while the broader market showed a positive breadth of 422 gainers compared to 251 decliners.
There was light turnover owing to the festive period with 805.86 million shares traded for a value of RM820.75mil.
YTL Corp was the most active share in the morning session, rising three sen to RM1.93 on 26.31 million shares traded.
YTL Power came in second after gaining one sen to RM3.12 with 23.98 million shares done.
Gamuda rounded out the top three leading actives, falling two sen to RM4.01 with 23.4 million shares crossed.
Meanwhile, heavyweight banks helped to shore up the blue-chip index, with Maybank gaining 10 sen to RM10.34, CIMB adding six sen to RM8 and RHB gaining four sen to RM6.42. Public Bank, however, fell five sen to RM4.32.
Meanwhile, regional markets moved higher on the back of strong earnings from US technology giants, and optimism over a comeback in AI-related counters despite fears of disruption by Chinese AI DeepSeek.
Japan's Nikkei rose 0.31% to 39,632 while Singapore's Straits Time climbed 1.55% to 3,859.
China's and Hong Kong's markets remained shuttered for the Lunar New Year holiday.
