.JPG "An investor monitors the stock prices in the gallery of the RHB Investment Bank Bhd headquarters in Kuala Lumpur March 17, 2020. u00e2u20acu2022 Picture by Hari Anggara")
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 26 ― Bursa Malaysia ended the morning session in the red after trading sideways, in sync with the downtrend among its regional peers.
However, losses in the key index were capped by the positive performance in the financial counters after a spate of positive earnings results were released on Thursday, which helped to boost the sentiments.
At 12.30pm, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) eased 3.78 points, or 0.24 per cent to 1,577.76, from 1,581.54 at yesterday’s close.
The key index opened 0.57 of-a-point lower at 1,580.97 and moved between 1,577.53 and 1,586.23 throughout the morning trading session.
Market breadth was negative with losers thumping gainers 873 to 294, while 367 counters were unchanged, 665 untraded and 76 others suspended.
Total volume stood at 6.03 billion units worth RM3.28 billion.
Regionally, Singapore’s Straits Times Index slid 0.98 per cent to 2,944.33, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 2.43 per cent to 29,342.49, while Japan’s Nikkei was 2.84 per cent easier at 29,310.38.
Of the 30 FBM KLCI constituents, Petronas Chemicals shed 17 sen to RM7.61 and Tenaga was 16 sen weaker at RM9.96.
Nonetheless, the retreat in the heavyweights was limited by gains in banking counters, led by Public Bank which increased three sen to RM4.20 and Maybank which added five sen to RM8.14.
Hong Leong Financial Group, which was also the top gainer across the board, strengthened 30 sen to RM16.50.
Top losers included MPI, which dipped RM1.10 to RM36.90, while Nestle shed 90 sen to RM135.10 and KESM contracted 48 sen to RM15.42.
Of the actives, Dagang Nexchange inched up half-a-sen to 72 sen while its warrant improved one sen to 36 sen, GFM Services warrant perked 4.5 sen to 8.5 sen, Signature International warrant advanced 4.5 sen to 11 sen, while XOX was flat at nine sen.
On the index board, the FBM Emas Index retreated 59.84 points to 11,616.01, the FBMT 100 Index erased 50.25 points to 11,302.53, and the FBM Emas Shariah Index was 106.95 points lower at 12,974.70.
The FBM 70 gave up 157.63 points to 15,463.73 and the FBM ACE dwindled 125.97 points to 10,837.23.
Sector-wise, the Industrial Products and Services Index inched down 2.28 points to 185.29 and the Plantation Index declined 47.93 points to 7,165.10.
The Financial Services Index rose 31.92 points to 15,017.71. ― Bernama
