KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia extended gains at midday, tracking firmer regional markets amid progress in US-Iran peace talks, an analyst said.
At 12.30 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 10.65 points, or 0.61 per cent, to 1,758.08 from Tuesday’s close of 1,747.43.
The benchmark index, which opened 1.65 points higher at 1,749.08, hovered between 1,746.80 and 1,760.12 during the morning session.
Market breadth was positive, with gainers outpacing losers 637 to 445. A total of 552 counters were unchanged, 998 untraded and 10 suspended.
Turnover stood at 2.17 billion units, valued at RM1.70 billion.
Separately, it was reported that US President Donald Trump has paused US military operations aimed at opening the Strait of Hormuz.
Hong Leong Investment Bank Bhd (HLIB) said, taking cues from positive Wall Street overnight sentiment, the FBM KLCI is likely to trend higher on improving technical momentum after reclaiming its long-term uptrend line.
"The index has rebounded, supported by expectations of broadly positive first-quarter 2026 earnings across banks, utilities, energy and healthcare, alongside domestic liquidity and a supportive macroeconomic backdrop.
"Malaysia’s position as a net energy exporter also provides a relative buffer against elevated oil prices compared with regional peers. However, sentiment is expected to remain headline-driven,” it said.
Technically, key support is seen at 1,700, 1,710 and 1,730, while resistance stands at 1,754 and 1,771.
Among heavyweights, Maybank added two sen to RM11.22, Public Bank and CIMB Group
gained three sen each to RM4.78 and RM7.92 respectively, Tenaga Nasional was flat at RM14.80, while IHH Healthcare slipped three sen to RM8.80.
Among the most active stocks, Zetrix AI and GIIB Holdings were unchanged at 86.5 sen and 18.5 sen, respectively. Manforce eased three sen to 35 sen, while YTL Corp rose 22 sen to RM2.31.
Among gainers, Malaysian Pacific Industries surged RM3.56 to RM41.06, Unisem and Dutch Lady Milk Industries climbed 30 sen each to RM3.80 and RM33.00 respectively, while MISC advanced 27 sen to RM8.79.
Among losers, Nestle fell 80 sen to RM100.90, Fraser & Neave declined 74 sen to RM28.82, Batu Kawan eased 30 sen to RM21.00, and Kuala Lumpur Kepong lost 14 sen to RM21.36.
On the index board, the FBM Emas Index rose 77.12 points to 12,964.46, the FBM Top 100 Index added 77.52 points to 12,809.14, the FBM Emas Shariah Index gained 71.26 points to 12,937.81, the FBM Mid 70 Index climbed 110.88 points to 18,380.36, and the FBM ACE Index edged up 15.16 points to 4,616.23.
By sector, the Energy Index slipped 5.33 points to 830.30 and the Plantation Index fell 22.85 points to 8,984.35. The Industrial Products and Services Index inched up 0.68 of-a-point to 198.35, while the Financial Services Index strengthened 67.75 points to 20,202.08. - Bernama
