KUALA LUMPUR: The FBM KLCI bucked the uptrend seen in most regional stock markets to end in negative territory in the absence of fresh catalysts.
The benchmark index closed up 7.6 points, or 0.48% to 1,581.59 as Petronas-linked counters dragged. The index moved between 1,592.16 and 1,577.79 today.
Gainers outpaced losers 624 to 476, while 398 counters were unchanged. About 4.43 billion shares, valued at RM2.89bil, changed hands.
In today’s session, only six of the KLCI-component stocks closed higher while 22 counters traded lower and two counters remained unchanged.
Hong Leong Financial Group rose 10 sen to RM18.50, Genting Malaysia added eight sen to RM3.08, Genting climbed seven sen to RM5.09, and Press Metal
gained six sen to RM5.51.
Nestle tumbled RM1.40 to RM133.90, Kuala Lumpur Kepong lost 70 sen to RM20.80 and PPB fell eight sen to RM18.30.
Petronas Dagangan shed 30 sen to RM19.80, Petronas Gas fell 22 sen to RM16.78 and Petronas Chemicals gave up 14 sen to RM8.10.
On the broader market, MPI jumped RM1.60 to RM46.50, Genetec rose RM1.28 to RM31.50 and ViTrox added 42 sen to RM19.
Dutch Lady fell 48 sen to RM34, Widetech shed 26 sen to RM4.04 and Genting Plantations lost 19 sen to RM7.34.
Meanwhile, the ringgit is traded higher against the greenback. The local currency is quoted at 4.1480.
On the external front, MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose about 0.6%.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 1.83% to close at 29,659.89.
South Korea’s Kospi ended 2.27 points, or 0.07%, higher at 3,203.33.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index rose 1.0%, to 26,163.63.
China’s CSI300 index rose 1.9%, to 4,933.73, while the Shanghai Composite Index gained 1.1% to 3,621.86 points.
