CONTINUOUS buying support in selected healthcare, industrial products and services counters pushed Bursa Malaysia to end the week on a positive note, with its benchmark index rising 0.58%.
At 5pm, the benchmark index FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) improved 9.12 points to 1,587.45 from yesterday’s close of 1,578.33.
The index opened 0.34 of-a-point higher at 1,578.67, and moved between 1,573.40 and 1,590.04 throughout the day.
The overall market breadth was positive as gainers surpassed losers 627 to 426, while 458 counters were unchanged, 667 untraded and 19 others suspended.
Total volume fell to 5.39 billion shares worth RM3.41 bil from 6.20 billion shares worth RM4.6 bil on Thursday.
Meanwhile, healthcare counters – especially the rubber glove makers – continued to be buoyed by the rise in COVID-19 cases, both locally and overseas.
Health Ministry director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah tweeted that 4,498 new COVID-19 cases had been reported in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of local COVID-19 cases to 432,425, to-date.
Top Glove Corporation Bhd added 20 sen to RM5.26, Hartalega Holdings Bhd jumped 31 sen to RM9.56, IHH Healthcare Bhd bagged five sen to RM5.66, Supermax Corporation Bhd firmed nine sen to RM4.96, Careplus Group Bhd expanded 18 sen to RM2.41 and Kossan Rubber Industries Bhd rose 17 sen to RM4.19.
Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd economist Adam Mohamed Rahim said the FBM KLCI closed 0.6% higher on Friday amidst bargain hunting activities, especially in the rubber glove counters.
This boosted the Bursa Malaysia healthcare index to 2.3%, making it the biggest gainer, sector-wise.
“Overall sentiment was rather positive, stoked by news that China’s exports had unexpectedly accelerated, while its import growth had hit a 10-year high,” he told Bernama.
Among the heavyweights, both Malayan Banking Bhd and Public Bank Bhd increased one sen to RM8.24 and RM4.10, respectively, while Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd added 11 sen to RM8.30 and Tenaga Nasional Bhd eased two sen to RM9.90.
Of the actives, Focus Dynamics Group Bhd rose half-a-sen to 9.5 sen, Vizione Holdings Bhd fell 1.5 sen to 23 sen, UCrest Bhd decreased half-a-sen to 34.5 sen and Tanco Holdings Bhd gained one sen to 11 sen.
Among the gainers, Cycle & Carriage Bintang Bhd strengthened 59 sen to RM3.00, Widetec (M) Bhd improved 49 sen to RM2.15, Adventa Bhd was 40 sen stronger at RM2.08 and Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd rose 32 sen to RM22.52.
On the index board, the FBM Emas Index improved by 61.46 points to 11,657.62, the FBMT 100 Index was 58.65 points higher at 11,314.38, the FBM Emas Shariah Index gained 83.99 points to 13,077.83, the FBM ACE soared 50.77 points to 8,326.53 and the FBM 70 rose 54.62 points to 15,259.48.
Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index added 34.99 points to 14,803.62, the Plantation Index improved 105.13 points to 7,097.49, and the Industrial Products and Services Index increased 1.86 points to 200.54. – May 7, 2021
