KUALA LUMPUR: The FBM KLCI advanced to its highest level in 16 months on last-minute buying, supported by gains in selected index-linked counters.
The benchmark index ended at its intraday high of 1,671.29, up 5.39 points, or 0.32%, after touching a low of 1,663.12 earlier in the session. The 16-month high was last seen at 1,678.80 on Aug 25, 2024.
Winners and losers were closely balanced, with 520 gainers against 515 losers and 551 that were flat. About 2.36 billion shares, valued at RM1.98bil, changed hands.
Among the gainers, Malaysian Pacific Industries
rose 38 sen to RM32.58, Malayan Cement added 33 sen to RM7.23, Hong Leong Financial Group gained 32 sen to RM18.58 and Hong Leong Industries advanced 20 sen to RM16.70.
Meanwhile, consumer stocks led the decliners, with Nestle sliding RM1.40 to RM114.90, Dutch Lady down 40 sen to RM30.10 and F&N easing 32 sen to RM36.
Other losers included Far East, which fell 39 sen to RM4.06, BLD Plantation, down 24 sen to RM15.80, while PETRONAS Dagangan ended flat at RM19.52.
On the forex market, the ringgit weakened 0.01% against the US dollar to 4.0767 and inched down 0.14% against the Singapore dollar to 3.1585.
On the external front, MSCI’s Asia ex-Japan stock index rose 1.09%, while most Asian markets ended higher.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 climbed 1.81% to 50,402.39, while South Korea’s Kospi gained 2.12% to 4,105.93.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index advanced 0.43% to 25,801.77 and Singapore’s FTSE Straits Times Index rose 0.89% to 4,610.29.
In China, the CSI300 rose 1% to 4,611.62, while the Shanghai Composite added 0.69% to 3,917.36.
