KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 31 — Bursa Malaysia ended the year 2020 broadly lower in line with most regional markets, with the key index shedding 1.05 per cent weighed down by selling in heavyweights led by Sime Daby Plantation and IHH Healthcare.

The benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) fell 17.20 points to finish at 1,627.21, its intraday low, after hitting a high of 1,644.26 earlier.

The index opened 0.15 of-a-point easier at 1,644.26, compared to Wednesday’s close of 1,644.41.

Bursa Malaysia will be closed tomorrow for the New Year.

The overall market breadth was negative with losers outpacing gainers 620 to 474, while 501 counters were unchanged, 526 untraded and 56 others suspended.

Total volume decreased to 5.51 billion units worth RM3.11 billion from Wednesday’s 7.82 billion units worth RM3.65 billion.

Sime Darby Plantation slipped 18 sen to RM4.99, IHH Healthcare lost 21 sen to RM5.50, Press Metal declined 11 sen to RM8.39, and Petronas Chemicals slid seven sen to RM7.43.

Of the other heavyweights, Top Glove was flat at RM6.12, Maybank dipped 11 sen to RM8.46, Public Bank and TNB went down 10 sen each to RM20.60 and RM10.42, respectively, while CIMB decreased eight sen to RM4.30 and Hartalega was six sen easier at RM12.14.

Among the actives, Technodex rose two sen to 31.5 sen, Marine & General inched up half-a-sen to 18.5 sen, while AT Systematization, Iris Corp, MLabs Systems, Borneo Oil and XOX were all flat at 18.5 sen, 43.5 sen, eight sen, four sen, and 11 sen respectively.

Solid Automotive eased 1.5 sen to 23 sen.

On the index board, the FBM 70 shrank 105.92 points to 15,142.84, the FBM Emas Index fell 107.25 points to 11,761.93, the FBMT 100 Index declined 111.18 points to 11,501.99, and the FBM Emas Shariah Index slid 116 points to 13,159.15.

The Industrial Products and Services Index went down 0.81 of-a-point to 178.11, the Plantation Index decreased 109.97 points to 7,302.84 and the Financial Services Index slipped 160.04 points to 15,316.55. — Bernama