Bursa Malaysia Ends Morning Session Weaker On Continued Selling

By Nurunnasihah Ahmad Rashid

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 15 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia ended the midday session lower as decliners surged past gainers amid weak market sentiment and persistent selling in index-linked counters.

At 12.30 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) shed 12.79 points to 1,563.67 from Tuesday’s close of 1,576.46. 

The benchmark index opened 5.87 points higher at 1,582.33, and subsequently moved between 1,564.26 and 1,586.21 throughout the session.

Market breadth was broadly negative, with losers trumping gainers 882 to 147, while 364 counters were unchanged, 982 untraded and 10 others suspended.

Turnover stood at 2.16 billion units valued at RM1.55 billion.

ActivTrades trader Anderson Alves said global market participants will closely monitor key United States (US) consumer price index (CPI) data later tonight, with headline and core inflation readings projected at 0.5 per cent and 0.3 per cent month-on-month, respectively.

He said expectations are leaning towards improved inflation trends in the coming months, contingent on seasonal adjustments and trade policy decisions from the US President-elect Trump's administration.

Following strong jobs data last Friday, markets have adopted a slightly dovish stance for the US CPI release, he added.

“However, any upside surprise could eliminate this dovish tilt, potentially driving equities lower as US bond yields approach a critical five per cent level.

“In terms of short-term rates, market-implied US Federal Reserve rate cuts for 2025 remain limited, with the first full 25-basis-point reduction anticipated by September,” he told Bernama.

Alves said pricing for rate cuts at key intervals shows minor adjustments, reflecting cautious sentiment as Trump's policies begin to take shape.

Back home, heavyweights Maybank shaved six sen to RM10.14, CIMB slipped 10 sen to RM7.87, and Tenaga sank 32 sen to RM13.50, while Public Bank was flat at RM4.4 and IHH increased two sen to RM7.10.

As for the active stocks, EA Holdings, Velocity Capital and TWL Holdings were flat at half-a-sen, eight sen and three sen, respectively.

MYEG decreased by 3.5 sen to 90 sen, and YTL Corporation lost three sen to RM2.15.

On the broader index, the FBM Emas Index reduced 142 points to 11,974.97, the FBM Emas Shariah Index fell 181.97 points to 11,871.56, and the FBMT 100 Index dropped 131.81 points to 11,669.82.

The FBM 70 Index tumbled 337.54 points to 17,893.36, while the FBM ACE Index trimmed 107.33 points to 5,170.17.

Sector-wise, the Energy Index decreased by 9.94 points to 823.08, the Financial Services Index narrowed by 85.52 points to 18,677.30, the Industrial Products and Services Index went down 1.70 points to 165.36, and the Plantation Index fell by 25.30 points to 7,374.06.

-- BERNAMA