KUALA LUMPUR: Late selling dragged the FBM KLCI into the red at the close, although the benchmark index remained higher for the week.
The 30-stock index fell 1.36 points, or 0.08%, to 1,720.34 after trading between an intraday high of 1,724.30 and a low of 1,719.73. Despite the loss, the index rose 1.5%, or 25.13 points, on a weekly basis.
In the broader market, gainers and decliners were nearly balanced at 575 versus 530, while 645 counters were unchanged. Turnover stood at 3.22 billion shares valued at RM3.25bil.
Dealers said late profit-taking in selected heavyweights weighed on the FBM KLCI towards the close, although underlying sentiment remained supported by firmer regional cues.
Among the decliners, F&N slid 40 sen to RM30.30, Chin Tek lost 30 sen to RM10.80, United Plantations declined 26 sen to RM32.32 and Dutch Lady
eased 26 sen to RM32.60.
On the other hand, Malaysian Pacific Industries surged RM1.50 to RM37.84, Nestle jumped RM1.30 to RM99.30, ViTrox added 54 sen to RM5.52 and UWC climbed 42 sen to RM5.42.
On the forex market, the ringgit edged up 0.07% against the US dollar to 3.9622 and gained 0.16% versus the Singapore dollar to 3.1008.
The local currency rose 0.11% against the euro to 4.6315 and advanced 0.27% against the pound sterling to 5.3386.
Meanwhile, Brent crude was up US$1.74, or 1.66% to US$106.81 per barrel, while US crude oil rose US$1.37, or 1.43% to US$97.22 a barrel.
On the external front, MSCI’s Asia ex-Japan stock index rose 0.6%, with most regional bourses ending higher. Among the key regional markets:
Japan’s Nikkei 225 closed 0.97% higher at a record 59,716.18;
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index rose 0.24% to 25,978.07;
China’s CSI300 Index fell 0.35% to 4,769.37;
Taiwan’s Taiex advanced 3.23% to 38,932.40;
South Korea’s Kospi closed flat at 6,475.63 and;
Singapore’s Straits Times Index declined 0.3% to 4,929.50 points.
