BURSA MALAYSIA MAINTAINS UPTREND MOMENTUM, CI ABOVE 1,636 AT MIDDAY

KUALA LUMPUR, July 17 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia sustained its upward momentum, closing higher in the morning session alongside gains in most regional markets, as traders anticipated the nearing conclusion of the US Federal Reserve's tightening cycle.

At 12.30 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) surged 10.66 points or 0.66 per cent to 1,636.62 from Tuesday's close of 1,625.96.

The index began the session 4.02 points higher at 1,629.98 and fluctuated between 1,629.89 and 1,638.03 throughout the morning.

Gainers trounced losers 691 to 380, with 486 counters unchanged, 891 untraded, and six others suspended.

Total turnover amounted to 2.93 billion units valued at RM1.75 billion.

Malacca Securities Sdn Bhd said traders will be monitoring upcoming US industrial and unemployment data this week.

Regionally, Japan's Nikkei 255 eased 0.36 per cent to 41,129.68, Singapore’s Straits Times Index rose 0.08 per cent per cent to 3,490.73, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index edged up by 0.06 per cent to 17,739.42. 

Back home, Bursa Malaysia’s heavyweights TNB advanced 12 sen to RM14.58, Public Bank increased four sen to RM4.17, CIMB gained three sen to RM7.18, IHH Healthcare added two sen to RM6.37, Petronas Gas was flat at RM18.12 and Maybank shed two sen to RM10.08.

Active counters included Ekovest and Berjaya Corp, both up four sen to 55.5 sen and 39.5 sen respectively, WCT climbing seven sen to RM1.23, Censof gaining 2.5 sen to 41 sen, Velesto steady at 23.5 sen, and Computer Forms slipping half-a-sen to 16 sen.

On the index front, the FBM Emas Index surged 100.21 points to 12,700.94, the FBMT 100 Index went up 93.74 points to 12,266.87, the FBM Emas Shariah Index strengthened 135.91 points to 13,108.50, the FBM 70 Index expanded by 195.48 points to 19,004.70, and the FBM ACE Index appreciated 57.81 points to 6,020.89.  

Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index went up 49.30 points to 17,950.36, the Industrial Products and Services Index added 1.21 point to 201.33, the Plantation Index perked up 73.95 points to 7,056.25, while the Energy Index declined by 3.98 points to 972.22.

-- BERNAMA