KUALA LUMPUR: The FBM KLCI snapped a three-session losing streak to close higher on Tuesday, bucking weakness in key regional markets as gains in banking stocks helped lift the benchmark index.
At 5pm, the FBM KLCI closed 7.47 points, or 0.43%, higher at 1,733.36, after hitting an intraday high of 1,734.53.
Despite the benchmark index’s gains, the broader market remained weak, with profit-taking outweighing bargain-hunting. There were 438 gainers, 762 losers and 576 counters traded unchanged on Bursa Malaysia. Total turnover stood at 3.74 billion shares valued at RM2.91bil.
Dealers said the rebound in the benchmark index was supported by bargain-hunting in selected heavyweight stocks following recent losses.
They expect near-term trading to remain cautious, with investors likely to focus on corporate earnings and external market developments for fresh direction.
Leading the gainers on Bursa Malaysia, Malaysian Pacific Industries
jumped RM1.02 to RM48.02, Nestle rose 70 sen to RM103.70, MI Technovation added 56 sen to RM6.45 and Kelington gained 46 sen to RM9.
On the downside, Carlsberg slid 40 sen to RM14.50, United Plantations shed 40 sen to RM32.60, Heineken lost 28 sen to RM16.52 and Ayer Holdings declined 25 sen to RM7.25.
AmBank rose three sen to RM7.23 after reporting a higher net profit for the first quarter ended June 30, 2026 (1Q27).
The bank’s net profit increased to RM520.23mil from RM516.18mil a year earlier, while net income rose to RM1.33bil from RM1.29bil.
Other banking stocks were also firmer, with Maybank up four sen to RM10.62, CIMB gained eight sen to RM7.95, Public Bank added one sen to RM5.11 and RHB Bank climbed nine sen to RM8.68.
Meanwhile, foreign investors sold a net RM191mil of Malaysian equities on Monday, while local institutions and retailers were net buyers at RM146mil and RM45mil, respectively.
On the forex market, the ringgit gained 0.08% to 4.0575 against the US dollar and rose 0.23% to 3.1751 against the Singapore dollar.
Around the region, Asian markets ended mixed, although MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell 0.86%.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 2.54% to 67,460.73 and South Korea’s Kospi closed down 1.55% at 6,869.83.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index added 0.07% to 25,471.15 while Singapore’s Straits Times Index edged down 1.16% to 5,701.40.
In China, the CSI300 fell 0.32% to 4,725.81, while the Shanghai Composite rose 0.19% to 3,990.30.
