KUALA LUMPUR: The FBM KLCI finished almost flat on Tuesday after trading within a tight band, as most regional markets ended lower.
The 30-stock index finished marginally lower, declining 0.39 of a point, or 0.02%, to 1,714.40 after trading in a tight range.
The benchmark index moved between an intraday low of 1,710.44 and a high of 1,714.50, finishing just shy of its day’s high.
Trading sentiment was evenly balanced, as 547 counters rose, 549 declined and 597 were unchanged, with turnover at 4.13 billion shares worth RM3.14bil.
Dealers said trading was largely range-bound as investors remained cautious amid weaker regional markets, although selective buying in heavyweight and index-linked stocks helped cushion the downside.
They noted that late buying helped the benchmark recover most of its earlier losses and finish near its intraday high.
Malayan Cement was the top loser on Bursa Malaysia, shedding 51 sen to RM5.52. Hong Leong Industries fell 34 sen to RM17.06, PETRONAS Gas lost 26 sen to RM17.44 and KPJ declined 11 sen to RM2.61.
Among the gainers, United Plantations jumped RM1.10 to RM33.30, Nestlé added 26 sen to RM94.16, Solarvest gained 25 sen to RM3.55 and ViTrox climbed 24 sen to RM9.28.
Newly listed GTA closed 1.5 sen, or 4.29%, lower at 33.5 sen, with 29.4 million shares traded, making it the second most actively traded counter on Bursa Malaysia.
On the forex market, the ringgit eased 0.39% to 4.0620 against the US dollar and fell 0.37% to 3.2081 against the Singapore dollar.
In terms of fund flows, foreign investors and retailers were net buyers on Monday, acquiring RM60mil and RM85mil worth of equities, respectively. Local institutions, meanwhile, offloaded RM145mil worth of equities.
Around the region, MSCI’s Asia ex-Japan stock index declined 0.45%, with most regional bourses ending lower.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 closed 1.7% lower at 65,269.33, while South Korea’s Kospi fell 0.58% to 6,954.52 after three consecutive sessions of gains.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index lost 0.38% to 25,317.18, while Taiwan’s TAIEX fell 0.47% to 47,105.78. Singapore’s Straits Times Index slid 0.47% to 5,764.79.
China’s blue-chip CSI 300 Index eased 0.36% to 4,558.74, while the Shanghai Composite Index bucked the regional trend to close 0.2% higher at 3,940.55.
