Bursa Malaysia Ends Midday Lower Amidst Mixed Regional Sentiment
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 8 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia closed the midday session lower due to continuous selling in selected heavyweights and small-caps stocks amidst mixed sentiment in regional peers.
At 12.30 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) slipped 7.26 points, or 0.44 per cent, to 1,622.53 compared with Tuesday’s close of 1,629.79.
The index had opened 0.87 of-a-point lower at 1,628.92 and traded between 1,621.48 and 1,631.15 during the morning session.
On the broader market, decliners outnumbered gainers 719 to 284, with 451 counters unchanged, 916 untraded and 10 suspended. Turnover totalled 2.23 billion units worth RM1.47 billion.
ActivTrades trader Anderson Alves said a robust US ISM Services Index for the non-manufacturing sector and higher-than-expected job openings fueled hawkish repricing in the US yield curve.
He said the data pressured US Treasury notes, pushing yields higher and strengthening the dollar.
“These factors could weigh on Asian risk assets, particularly given the negative sentiment around tech and semiconductor stocks,” he said.
Among the heavyweights, Maybank lost two sen to RM10.14, Public Bank and CIMB fell one sen each to RM4.50 and RM8.14, respectively, while Hong Leong Bank slid four sen to RM20.38.
However, Tenaga Nasional added two sen to RM14.34, and IHH Healthcare was one sen firmer at RM7.21.
Of the active stocks, ACE debutant Swift Energy gained 10 sen to 38 sen, and Gamuda rose nine sen to RM5.29. JCY, however, inched down two sen to 55 sen, while Velocity and Vinvest were flat at 8.0 sen and 7.5 sen, respectively.
On the index board, the FBM Emas Index weakened 66.52 points to 12,480.32, the FBM Emas Shariah Index decreased by 78.85 points to 12,475.04, and the FBMT 100 Index declined by 62.17 points to 12,156.94.
The FBM 70 Index dipped 125.16 points to 18,818.35, while the FBM ACE Index lost 66.16 points, falling to 5,399.81.
By sector, the Plantation Index lost 33.84 points to 7,574.96, the Industrial Products and Services Index eased 1.67 points to 173.52, the Financial Services Index dropped by 26.33 points to 19,010.36, and the Energy Index fell 5.57 points to 853.15.
-- BERNAMA
