Bursa Malaysia ends with key index 9.86 points up
KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia ended the first day of the new trading week with the key index finishing at the day’s high, lifted by buying interest in selected heavyweights led by Petronas Chemicals, Axiata and Maybank.
At 5 pm, the benchmark FBM KLCI rose 9.86 points or 0.62% to 1,611.28 from Friday’s close of 1,601.42.
The index opened 2.17 points better at 1,603.59 and reached an intraday low of 1,597.83.
On the broader market, losers thumped gainers 653 to 431, while 452 counters were unchanged, 696 untraded and 51 others suspended.
Total volume increased to 6.71 billion shares valued at RM3.58 billion from Friday’s 5.96 billion shares valued at RM3.24 billion.
Brent crude fell 0.42% to US$64.30 per barrel after giant container ship The Ever Given was refloated after blocking the Suez Canal since March 23.
Regional markets were higher, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 advancing 0.71% to 29,384.52, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index adding 0.01% to 28,338.30 and Singapore’s Straits Times Index 0.73% up at 3,180.99.
Axi chief global market strategist Stephen Innes said Asian markets edged higher today, while oil prices slipped as the ship blocking the Suez Canal was re-floated, raising hopes the vital waterway could reopen and ease global shipping backlogs.
“The news added optimism about world growth as markets look to US President Joe Biden to outline his infrastructure spending plans this week, which could supercharge an already accelerating US recovery,” he said in a note today.
Bursa Malaysia’s Petronas Chemicals jumped 20 sen to RM8.10, Axiata surged 17 sen to RM3.85 and Maybank appreciated 13 sen to RM8.38 and Petronas Gas was 46 sen higher at RM16.28.
Other heavyweights, Public Bank gained four sen to RM4.23, TNB rose 12 sen to 10.92, CIMB was flat at RM4.41, IHH Healthcare declined seven sen to RM5.34 and Top Glove shaved off 10 sen to RM5.05.
As for active counters, Berjaya Corp gained three sen to 33.5 sen, Widad strengthened 10 sen to 65.5 sen, Pegasus edged up half a sen to three sen, Straits Inter Logistics added 1.5 sen to 25 sen, Macpie trimmed 16 sen to 30.5 sen, Fintec inched down half a sen to 6.5 sen and Dagang Nexchange gave up six sen to 88.5 sen.
On the index board, the FBM Emas Index gained 56.53 points to 11,834.82, the FBMT 100 climbed 62 points to 11,505.98, and the FBM Emas Shariah rose 55.46 points to 13,133.62, the FBM 70 put on 51.33 points to 15,601.79 and the FBM ACE shed 33.02 points to 10,484.09.
Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index surged 118.82 points to 15,419.11, the Industrial Products and Services Index rose 1.45 point to 192.86 and the Plantation Index slid 3.99 points to 7,096.46
Main Market volume went up to 3.88 billion shares worth RM2.64 billion from Friday’s 3.55 billion shares worth RM2.52 billion.
Warrants turnover was slightly higher at 278.35 million units valued at RM44.94 million from 274.27 million units valued at RM50.24 million previously.
Volume on the ACE Market increased to 2.54 billion shares worth RM891.53 million from 2.13 billion shares worth RM666.76 million on Friday.
Consumer products and services accounted for 600.23 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products and services (1.08 billion), construction (194.75 million), technology (637.08 million), SPAC (nil), financial services (60.54 million), property (607.33 million), plantations (26.20 million), REITs (7.80 million), closed/fund (10,700), energy (37.56 million), healthcare (34.47 million), telecommunications and media (78.77 million), transportation and logistics (150.06 million), and utilities (25.86 million). — Bernama