KUALA LUMPUR: The FBM KLCI rose for the second consecutive day on Friday, supported by positive second-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) data and a mixed regional market backdrop.
Malaysia’s economy grew 4.5% year-on-year in the second quarter, based on official advance estimates.
The FBM KLCI added 4.92 points, or 0.32%, to close at 1,525.86, trading between 1,522.97 and 1,529.52 during the session. Despite Friday’s gain, the benchmark index fell 0.66% for the week.
Market sentiment improved on Friday, with gainers outpacing losers by 621 to 393, indicating broader buying interest. Trading activity remained steady, with a total of 3.18 billion shares changing hands, valued at RM2.8bil.
Malaysian Pacific Industries
, the top gainer on Bursa Malaysia, rose 30 sen to RM19.92. Kuala Lumpur Kepong added 24 sen to RM20.40, Malayan Cement climbed 23 sen to RM5.13 and Sam Engineering gained 22 sen to RM4.22.
Conversely, Dutch Lady slipped 84 sen to RM27.52, PETRONAS Dagangan fell 50 sen to RM21.20, F&N eased 16 sen to RM28.86, and Mulpha International declined 15 sen to RM3.02.
Meanwhile, newly listed Enproserve Group closed up 10.42%, or 2.5 sen, at 26.5 sen, with 75.85 million shares traded.
On the forex market, the ringgit rose 0.12% against the US dollar to 4.2437, but slipped 0.07% against the Singapore dollar to 3.3055.
Regional markets ended the day mixed. Among the key regional indices:
Japan’s Nikkei 225 closed down 0.21% to 39,819.11;
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index advanced 1.33% to 24,825.66;
China’s CSI 300 Index rose 0.6% to 4,058.55;
Taiwan’s Taiex added 1.17% to 23,383.13;
South Korea’s Kospi closed down 0.13% to 3,188.07 and;
Singapore’s Straits Times Index gained 0.67% to 4,189.50 points.
