KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 17 ― Bursa Malaysia remained mixed at mid-afternoon today amid positive sentiments in the regional markets, with mild profit-taking seen in selected healthcare and technology counters, dealers said.

At 3pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 3.67 points to 1,522.45 compared with yesterday’s close of 1,518.78.

However, the broader market was slightly negative with decliners leading gainers 408 to 357, while 394 counters were unchanged, 1,120 untraded, and six others suspended.

Turnover stood at 1.85 billion units worth RM1.11 billion.

ActiveTrades trader Anderson Alves said traders will be monitoring US July retail sales data and the release of the US Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) minutes for the session ahead.

“The key point for the release will be the committee’s message on the next hike size and terminal rate path. On market pricing, investors are seen shifting their US Federal Reserve (Fed) rate cut and terminal rate expectations towards 2024 from 2023.

“The Fed event is expected to bring little volatility to risk assets and might not change the entire current market pricing going into the September meeting,” he said in a note today.

Among the heavyweights, Maybank added 1.0 sen to RM8.98, Petronas Chemicals advanced 6.0 sen to RM8.81, IHH Healthcare went up 3.0 sen to RM6.52 while Public Bank and CIMB were flat at RM4.65 and RM5.45.

Of the actives, Metronic Global and Pegasus Heights improved 1.0 sen each to 6.0 sen and 1.5 sen respectively, Hartalega slipped 4.0 sen to RM1.73 while G3 Global was flat at 3.0 sen.

On the index board, the FBM Emas Index was 18.52 points better at 10,768.05, the FBMT 100 Index went up 19.50 points to 10,517.66, the FBM Emas Shariah Index gained 32.99 points to 10,934.90, while the FBM 70 edged down 0.10 of-a-point to 12,780.73 and the FBM ACE shed 29.57 points to 4,938.71.

Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index increased 2.22 points to 16,813.56, the Industrial Products and Services Index earned 0.38 of-a-point to 184.26, the Energy Index perked up 3.80 points to 661.31 while the Plantation Index secured 26.47 points to 7,285.19. ― Bernama