KUALA LUMPUR: The FBM KLCI managed to hold above the 1,600 psychological level on Thursday amid a regional market rout, as selling pressure swept across Bursa Malaysia, leaving more than 800 stocks in the red.
The benchmark index fell 10.77 points, or 0.67%, to 1,601.01, its lowest closing level since September 2025, after recovering from an intraday low of 1,597.94.
In just two trading days, the index shed 32.34 points, or nearly 2%, from its closing level of 1,633.35 on Tuesday.
All indices on Bursa Malaysia ended in the red, except for the Bursa Malaysia Energy Index.
Market breadth was negative, with losers outnumbering gainers by 813 to 378. Trading volume stood at 3.51 billion shares worth RM3.46bil.
Dealers said the selling appeared to have been overdone following two consecutive days of losses, potentially paving the way for bargain-hunting activities.
They said investors may also turn their attention to the tabling of Budget 2027 on Friday for fresh market catalysts, although sentiment is likely to remain cautious amid regional market volatility.
Among the top losers, Malaysian Pacific Industries
fell RM1.70 to RM43.50, followed by United Plantations, which declined 78 sen to RM30.40, and Kuala Lumpur Kepong (KLK), which shed 56 sen to RM20.54.
UMS Integration dropped 50 sen to RM8.80, Dutch Lady lost 46 sen to RM29.24, while Hong Leong Bank slipped 40 sen to RM21.10.
Energy counters were among the gainers on Bursa Malaysia, led by PETRONAS Gas, which rose 54 sen to RM17.80, followed by Hengyuan Refining Company, which gained 26 sen to RM3.77, and Gas Malaysia, which advanced 15 sen to RM5.40.
Elsewhere, Nestle climbed 42 sen to RM89.44, Chin Teck Plantations added 26 sen to RM10.54 and Bus Cap rose 18 sen to 99.5 sen.
Regionally, MSCI’s Asia ex-Japan index fell 1.89%, with several markets hitting multi-month lows.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 declined 1.42% to 69,042.11, while South Korea’s Kospi Index dropped 2.6% to 6,625.93, marking its steepest daily decline so far this month.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index shed 1.43% to 23,785.79, hitting its lowest level in three months. In Singapore, the FTSE Straits Times Index fell 3.46% to 5,414.17, its lowest level since mid-July.
China’s blue-chip CSI 300 Index declined 1.1% to 4,310.28, its lowest level since August 2025, while the Shanghai Composite Index slipped 0.79% to 3,811.90.
