BURSA MALAYSIA ENDS LOWER ON PROFIT-TAKING

KUALA LUMPUR, July 16 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia ended lower on Tuesday on profit-taking after the key index hit a three-year high yesterday and in line with most key regional market performance.

At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) eased 3.86 points, or 0.24 per cent, to 1,625.96 from Monday’s close of 1,629.82.

The benchmark index opened 1.91 points higher at 1,631.73 and moved between 1,624.39 and 1,633.97 throughout the day.

Losers trounced gainers 795 to 413, with 494 counters unchanged, 747 untraded, and six others suspended.

Turnover decreased to 4.66 billion units worth RM3.52 billion versus Monday's 5.36 billion units worth RM3.95 billion. 

Japan's Nikkei 225 gained 0.20 per cent to 41,275.08, Singapore's Straits Times Index declined 0.34 per cent to 3,487.91, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index slid 1.60 per cent to 17,727.98.  

A dealer said the local bourse struggled to maintain its upward momentum this morning due to selling activities in index-linked companies. CelcomDigi eased eight sen to RM3.60, Petronas Chemicals fell 10 sen to RM5.96, and Sime Darby slid nine sen to RM2.68.

As for other heavyweights, IHH Healthcare added one sen to RM6.35, Public Bank was flat RM4.13, Maybank slid four sen to RM10.10, TNB trimmed two sen to RM14.16, CIMB gave up three sen to RM7.15, and Press Metal shed five sen to RM5.98.  

Among the active counters, Bintai Kinden advanced two sen to 13.5 sen, MLabs perked up 3.5 sen to 24 sen, WCT put on five sen to RM1.16, Ekovest was flat at 51.5 sen, XOX inched down half-a-sen to one sen, and JCY dipped 3.5 sen to 72 sen. 

On the index board, the FBM Emas Index lost 32.08 points to 12,600.73, the FBMT 100 Index slipped 28.15 points to 12,173.13, the FBM Emas Shariah Index declined 37.99 points to 12,972.59, the FBM 70 Index shed 40.72 points to 18,809.22, and the FBM ACE Index went down 59.65 points to 5,963.08. 

Sector-wise, the Energy Index climbed 5.13 points to 976.20, the Financial Services Index fell 39.21 points to 17,901.06, the Plantation Index rose 18.67 points to 6,982.30, and the Industrial Products and Services Index eased 1.54 points to 200.12.  

The Main Market volume dwindled to 2.52 billion units valued at RM3.07 billion from Monday's 3.07 billion units valued at RM3.36 billion. 

Warrants turnover declined to 1.08 billion units worth RM136.60 million versus 1.25 billion units worth RM166.71 million yesterday.  

The ACE Market volume improved to 1.06 billion shares valued at RM306.73 million from 1.04 billion shares valued at RM424.76 million previously. 

Consumer products and services counters accounted for 396.91 million shares traded on the Main Market; industrial products and services (658.48 million); construction (359.49 million); technology (278.47 million); SPAC (nil); financial services (93.55 million); property (278.95 million); plantation (30.22 million); REITs (15.69 million); closed/fund (23,000); energy (168.11 million); healthcare (63.22 million); telecommunications and media (57.89 million); transportation and logistics (43.58 million); utilities (73.29 million); and business trusts (2.45 million).

-- BERNAMA