KUALA LUMPUR, July 14 ― Bursa Malaysia turned negative at mid-morning on weak sentiment as investors turned cautious over Covid-19 developments in the country.

The local bourse was also tracking the mostly weaker performance of its regional counterparts.

At 11am, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) was 3.34 points lower at 1,516.22 compared with yesterday’s close of 1,519.56.   

The market bellwether opened 1.21 points higher at 1,520.77.

On the broader market, losers led gainers 431 to 295, while 414 counters were unchanged, 1,087 were untraded, and nine others suspended.

Turnover increased to 1.77 billion units worth RM948.38 million.

Meanwhile, WCT Holdings share trading was halted at the start of the trading session today but resumed at 10am.

In a filing with Bursa Malaysia today, WCT said Meydan Group would pay RM828.24 million to WCT Bhd (WCTB), being a sum equivalent to 65 per cent of the principal sum of RM1.31 billion which an arbitral tribunal had awarded to WCTB earlier over the cancelled Nad Al Sheba Dubai racecourse contract.

At 11am, WCT added five sen to 56.5 sen, with 20.92 million shares transacted.

Among the heavyweights, Maybank and CIMB were down one sen each to RM8.05 and RM4.49 respectively, Public Bank and IHH were flat at RM4.08 and RM5.64 respectively, and Petronas Chemicals dropped two sen to RM8.08, but TNB improved two sen to RM9.68.

 Among the most active counters, Lambo was flat at one sen, Pasukhas reduced three sen to 30 sen, and Serba Dinamik and Pelikan shed one sen each to 43.5 sen and 47 sen respectively.

On the index board, the FBM Emas Index was 14.56 points weaker at 11,040.93, the FBMT 100 Index slid 13.65 points to 10,759.51, and the FBM Emas Shariah Index erased 6.68 points to 12,089.91.

However, the FBM ACE strengthened 22.05 points to 7,095.33 and the FBM 70 went up 21.08 points to 14,328.39.

Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index gave up 22.37 points to 14,913.78, the Industrial Products and Services Index edged down 0.27 of-a-point to 186.78, and the Plantation Index eased 31.69 points to 6,210.44. ― Bernama