LATE buying interest in selected heavyweights led by Petronas Gas and Maxis lifted Bursa Malaysia to end slightly higher today, in line with the positive performance in regional markets, dealers said.
The two counters contributed a combined 1.39 points to the increase in the barometer index.
At 5pm, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) earned 0.03 of-a-point to end at 1,516.45 compared with 1,516.42 at Thursday’s close.
The index opened 0.22 of-a-point higher at 1,516.64 and moved between 1,513.94 and 1,517.96 throughout the day.
On the broader market, gainers thumped losers 439 to 323, while 435 counters were unchanged, 1,104 untraded, and 15 others suspended.
Turnover declined to 1.88 billion units valued at RM911.77 mil from Thursday’s 1.99 billion units worth RM1.38 bil.
Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice-president of equity research Thong Pak Leng said FBM KLCI ended flattish in a quiet trading day.
“The benchmark index gained 0.03 of-a-point to close at 1,516.45 with gains led by Petronas Gas, Kuala Lumpur Kepong and Genting. Meanwhile, key regional markets ended mixed as some major markets in the region, including Hong Kong and Singapore, closed early for Christmas Eve.
“On the domestic front, we believe the benchmark index will possibly continue with its uptrend towards the year-end amid a more vibrant regional performance,” he told Bernama.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 slipped 0.05% to 28,782.59, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index gained 0.13% to 23,223.76, Singapore’s Straits Times Index advanced 0.37% to 3,108.28, and South Korea’s Kospi added 0.48% to 3,012.43.
Among the heavyweights, Maybank and CIMB were flat at RM8.25 and RM5.36, respectively, Public Bank slipped 2 sen to RM4.12, while Petronas Chemicals and IHH Healthcare rose 2.0 sen each to RM8.77 and RM6.57, respectively.
Of the actives, XOX perked up half-a-sen to 3 sen, SMTrack added 2 sen to 13.5 sen, while AT Systematization and Lambo Group were flat at 3.5 sen and 4.5 sen, respectively. – Dec 24, 2021
