KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia failed to hold on to earlier gains on Friday, with the benchmark index slipping marginally into the red to end the session largely flat.
The FBM KLCI fell 0.69 of a point, or 0.04%, to 1,671.62, marking its third straight session of losses. The index traded within an 8.48-point range, hitting an intraday high of 1,675.47 and a low of 1,666.99.
For the week, the benchmark index gained 6.06 points, or 0.36%, from 1,665.56 the previous Friday.
Losers outpaced gainers 590 to 575, while 534 counters were unchanged. About 4.08 billion shares, valued at RM2.69bil, changed hands.
A dealer said the market remained in consolidation mode, with investors reluctant to take large positions amid lingering external uncertainties. The late recovery from the day’s low, however, suggested some buying support at lower levels.
Among the top gainers, Malaysian Pacific Industries
rose 68 sen to RM44.18, Batu Kawan gained 50 sen to RM20.50, Heineken added 38 sen to RM13.82, while UWC climbed 37 sen to RM6.88.
In contrast, Nestle fell RM1.26 to RM90.20, United Plantations lost 52 sen to RM32.58, PETRONAS Dagangan shed 50 sen to RM19.50, while Dutch Lady declined 36 sen to RM30.
Among the banks, Maybank was the sole gainer, rising 10 sen to RM10.22. On the losing end, CIMB fell six sen to RM7.90, RHB Bank eased four sen to RM7.79 and Public Bank slipped two sen to RM4.80.
AmBank and Hong Leong Bank were unchanged at RM6.57 and RM23.14, respectively.
On the forex front, the ringgit strengthened 0.3% against the US dollar to 4.0738. It edged up 0.14% against the Singapore dollar to 3.1877.
The local currency also rose 0.13% against the euro to 4.6415 and edged 0.23% higher against the pound sterling at 5.3936.
Meanwhile, Brent crude fell US$1.07, or 1%, to US$105.53 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude slid US$1.62, or 1.71%, to US$92.99 per barrel.
MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.14% in thin trading, with markets in China, Taiwan and South Korea closed for a holiday.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 1.3% to 66,364.20, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng closed down 1.01% at 24,510.09 while Singapore’s Straits Times Index added 0.48% to 5,710.65.
