KUALA LUMPUR: The FBM KLCI ended the early session slightly higher amid concerns over the Middle East peace deal and ahead of a meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart.
At midday, the main index was up 2.43 points to 1,750.49, after moving within a nine-point intra-morning range of 1,744.99 and 1,754.
The market registered 549 declining issues compared to 445 advancing, reflecting a negative breadth. Volume was 2.11 billion shares changing hands for RM1.44bil.
Utilities and plantations were the biggest winners of the morning, rising 0.79% and 0.53% respectively.
Among the blue chips, Press Metal
jumped 12 sen to RM8.80, MISC gained nine sen to RM8.36 and SD Guthrie gained 11 sen to RM6.17.
Glove stocks were also on the rise, led by Top Glove gaining six sen to 82 sen, Hartalega rising 10 sen to RM1.33 and Supermax rising 2.5 sen to 35.5 sen.
In regional markets, Japan's Nikkei was up 0.22% to 35,050 and South Korea's Kospi gained 4.86% to 7,862 and Taiwan's Taiex gained 0.89% to 41,973.
China's Shanghai composite index rose 0.94% to 4,219 and the blue-chip CSI300 added 1.41% to 4,940. Hong Kong's Hang Seng slipped 0.29% to 26,318.
