Bursa ends lower as sentiment remains weak due to rising COVID-19 cases

BURSA Malaysia ended trading today broadly lower for the third consecutive session as sentiment remained weak over the development of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the close, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) fell 13.15 points to 1,562.17 compared with Thursday’s close of 1,575.32.

The market bellwether, which opened 5.89 points easier at 1,569.43, fluctuated between 1,552.07 and 1,574.70.
Overall market breadth was also negative with losers thumping gainers 881 to 330, while 386 counters were unchanged, 615 untraded and 18 others suspended.

Total volume rose to 7.53 billion units worth RM4.07 bil from Thursday’s close of 6.74 billion units worth RM4.57 bil.

Bursa Malaysia’s heavyweights, Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) was flat at RM9.90, Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank) declined three sen to RM8.24, Public Bank Bhd shed five sen to RM4.15, Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd was four sen easier at RM7.90, IHH Healthcare Bhd eased eight sen to RM5.20 and Top Glove slid six sen to RM5.31.

Of the actives, Focus Dynamics Group Bhd and LKL International Bhd edged up half-a-sen each to 6.5 sen and 40 sen, respectively, Sedania Innovator Bhd surged 30 sen to 90.5 sen, MTouche Technology Bhd gained 3.5 sen to 43.5 sen and VSolar Group Bhd inched down half-a-sen to two sen.

On the index board, the FBM Emas Index was 79.44 points weaker at 11,336.03, the FBMT 100 Index shed 80.74 points to 11,042.22, the FBM ACE advanced 22.75 points to 7,624.87, the FBM Emas Shariah Index weakened 98.58 points to 12,608.03, and the FBM 70 gave up 58.57 points to 14,536.66.

Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index went down 107.66 points to 14,768.0, the Plantation Index was 18.79 points lower at 6,899.52, while the Industrial Products and Services Index eased 0.53 of-a-point to 187.30. – May 21, 2021

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