KUALA LUMPUR: The FBM KLCI stayed slightly aloft after paring losses from earlier in the day as a tech-led rally in Asian markets lost steam.
The benchmark index had gained as much as 8.5 points earlier in the session before subsiding to a 3.39-point lead of 1,625.81 at midday.
While the blue chips remained firm, the lower liners were battered down with the overall market registering an overwhelming 761 declining stocks compared to 298 advancing. Turnover was 2.18 billion shares valued at RM1.23bil.
By sector, financial services stood out for its price advances, while consumer services and telcos and remained slightly positive.
Of the leading banks, Hong Leong Bank rose 42 sen to RM21.24, Maybank gained two sen to RM9.97 and CIMB jumped 11 sen to RM7.53. RHB Bank
climbed nine sen to RM6.93 and Public Bank added three sen to RM4.27.
Among leading active, MMAG dropped two sen to 16.5, extending its decline after its share price fell off a steep cliff yesterday.
NexG slid 6.5 sen to 28.5 sen and Borneo Oil was unchanged at 0.5 sen.
Meanwhile, regional markets lost an early lead to slip into negative territory as investors booked profits following a global rally on tech profits.
Japan's Nikkei dropped 0.63% to 52,079 and South Korea's Kospi fell 1.76% to 4,147.
In China, Shanghai's compsite index slipped 0.19% to 3,969 and the CSI 300 dropped 0.4% to 4,634. Hong Kong's Hang Seng was up 0.2% to 26,209.
