BURSA MALAYSIA ENDS MORNING SESSION MARGINALLY LOWER
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 28 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia ended the morning session marginally lower today in range-bound trading, with profit-taking seen largely in small-capitalised stocks.
At 12.30pm, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) was 0.14-of-a-point lower at 1,693.70, after moving between 1,690.64 and 1,694.82 throughout
the morning.
The index opened 2.74 points weaker at 1,691.10 at 9.00am.
Market breadth was negative with losers beating gainers by 572 to 213 with 328 counters unchanged, 608 untraded and 47 others suspended.
Turnover stood at 1.13 billion shares worth RM936.12 million.
A dealer said the local bourse saw extended profit-taking consolidation ahead of the release of the details on major policy initiatives to be announced by US President Donald Trump.
"There were selling pressure in the small-capitalised stocks while buying on selected heavyweights were supporting the index," he said.
Meanwhile, the regional markets were mixed as investors regained their appetite for Asian equities lifted by fresh highs in US markets ahead of Trump’s speech to Congress, another dealer said.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng slid 0.06 per cent to 23,910.50, Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 0.71 per cent to 19,242.37, South Korean Kospi's gained 0.32 per cent to 2,092.10 and Singapore's Straits Times slid 0.23 per cent to 3,101.26.
Among heavyweights, Maybank fell three sen to RM8.59 and Petronas Chemicals eased six sen to RM7.24. Public Bank added six sen to RM20 and Sime Darby gained
four sen to RM9.11. TNB was flat at RM13.54.
Of the actives, Hibiscus Petroleum shed 1.5 sen to 47 sen and JAKS Resources fell 18 sen to RM1.05. AT Sysyematization and its warrant were flat at four sen and three sen respectively.
The FBM Emas Index fell 11.85 points to 11,929, FBM Emas Shariah Index shed 9.27 points to 12,365.93 and the FBMT100 Index eased 3.15 points to 11,622.19.
The FBM Ace decreased 45.71 points to 5,241.43 and the FBM 70 fell 11.92 points to 13,841.76.
On a sectoral basis, the Finance Index slipped 9.09 points to 15,035.48, Plantation Index eased 7.30 points to 8,071.41 and the Industrial Index fell 8.92 points to 3,250.42.
