KUALA LUMPUR, March 29 ― Bursa Malaysia ended the morning session higher amid continued interest in blue chips in tandem with improved sentiment in the region.

At 12.30pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) advanced 6.17 points, or 0.44 per cent, to 1,415.26 from yesterday's closing of 1,409.09.

The main index opened 1.61 points lower at 1,407.48, recording its intraday low, and later hit a high of 1,416.94 during the mid-morning session.

Market breadth was positive as gainers beat decliners by 422 to 344, while 363 counters were unchanged, 1,162 untraded and 25 others suspended.

Turnover amounted to 1.66 billion units worth RM733.14 million.

Meanwhile, the regional bourses were mostly higher despite the negative cues from Wall Street overnight.

A rebound in oil prices and easing fears over the banking crisis in the United States and Europe contributed to improved sentiments on the regional and local front.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 0.69 per cent to 27,708.73, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index was 1.91 per cent stronger at 20,162.65, the Singapore Straits Times Index bagged 0.07 per cent to 3,257.98, while China’s Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.04 per cent to 3,243.94.

Back home, all sectoral indices were in positive territory except for plantation, transportation, logistics, as well as property.

Among the heavyweights, IHH put on eight sen to RM5.83, CIMB increased six sen to RM5.27, while Maybank and Axiata added four sen each to RM8.55 and RM3.00 respectively.

Tenaga Nasional bagged seven sen to RM9.40 and Hong Leong Bank garnered 18 sen to RM20.24.

Among the actives, Computer Forms increased three sen to 21.5 sen, BSL Corp went up 1.5 sen to 5.5 sen, while Hong Seng Consolidated lost one sen to 10.5 sen.

On the index board, the FBM Emas Index gained 47.02 points to 10,348.93, the FBMT 100 Index advanced 44.84 points to 10,045.67 and the FBM Emas Shariah Index added 45.31 points to 10,664.60.

The FBM 70 Index was 64.10 points higher at 13,353.64, while the FBM ACE Index fell 28.90 points to 5,176.61.

Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index climbed 68.32 points to 15,628.71, the Energy Index perked 13.58 points to 827.01, the Industrial Products and Services Index inched up 0.51 of-a-point to 168.51, while the Plantation Index dipped 56.59 points to 6,658.15. ― Bernama