KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia ended the morning trading session lower on profit-taking in utilities, industrial and consumer products sectors, after yesterday’s gains.
At 12.30 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) slipped 6.18 points, or 0.38 per cent, to 1,612.20 from Monday’s close of 1,618.38.
The benchmark index opened 1.85 points higher to 1,620.23 and moved between 1,610.18 and 1,620.23 during the session.
Market breadth was negative with 700 losers outpacing 210 gainers, while 449 counters were unchanged, 1,365 untraded and 36 suspended.
Turnover stood at 2.47 billion units valued at RM1.38 billion.
Malacca Securities Sdn Bhd said market sentiment is expected to remain upbeat on the local bourse following the United States (US) President Donald Trump’s visit to Malaysia on Sunday.
"Meanwhile, palm oil, rubber and cocoa’s exemption from the 19 per cent US tariffs is expected to boost and sustain buying interest in the plantation and commodities sectors,” it said in a note today.
Among heavyweights, Maybank eased one sen to RM9.90, Public Bank and IHH Healthcare trimmed two sen to RM4.20 and RM8.33, respectively. CIMB Group
declined seven sen to RM7.38, and Tenaga Nasional dropped 10 sen to RM13.26.
On the most active list, Perak Transit rose 3.5 sen to 37 sen, Pharmaniaga declined one sen to 24.5 sen, and Zetrix eased 1.5 sen to 83.5 sen. Borneo Oil and Powertechnic Group were unchanged at half-a-sen and 35 sen, respectively.
Top gainers included Malaysian Pacific, which surged 80 sen to RM31.34, and Dutch Lady added 10 sen to RM26.20. SAM Engineering, Hi Mobility, and Bintulu Port increased nine sen each to RM4.71, RM2.47, and RM5.27, respectively.
Top losers included Nestle, which dropped RM1.30 to RM105.30, UMS Integration eased 75 sen to RM5.05, United Plantations gave up 50 sen to RM24.00, Time dotCom slid 11 sen to RM4.70, and Kluang Rubber weakened 10 sen to RM5.10.
On the index board, the FBM Emas Index eased 55.15 points to 12,053.85, the FBMT 100 Index slipped 50.85 points to 11,793.78, the FBM Emas Shariah Index shed 62.44 points to 12,137.44, the FBM 70 Index declined 98.44 points to 17,148.12, and the FBM ACE Index fell 43.26 points to 5,193.49.
By sector, the Financial Services Index lost 58.88 points to 18,191.04, the Industrial Products and Services Index decreased 1.46 points to 170.79, the Energy Index weakened 9.27 points to 774.12, and the Plantation Index slipped 24.02 points to 7,992.40. - Bernama
