KUALA LUMPUR: Stocks on Bursa Malaysia closed firmer today, supported by gains in selected banking, utilities and consumer counters, after hovering in negative territory throughout the day, dealers said.
They said the market moved in a tight range and sentiment was still dampened by the absence of major funds as well as the beginning of the fasting month.
At 5pm, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) ended 1.78 points higher at 1,882.71, after hovering between 1,877,52 and 1,882.71.
Regionally, Japan's Nikkei 225 rose to 15,162.10, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng dropped to 23,190.72 and Singapore's Straits Times Index eased to 3,256.36.
On the scoreboard, the Plantation Index declined 8.58 points to 9,230.91 and the Industrial Index depreciated 3.66 points to 3,243.85, but the Finance Index firmed 30.77 points to 17,172.35.
The FBM Emas Index added 9.26 points to 13,049.79, the FBMT100 Index went up 10.070 points to 12,678.32 and the FBM 70 was 2.149 points firmer at 14,212.88, but the Ace Index decreased 26.98 points to 6,668.79.
Market breadth was slightly negative as decliners outpaced advancers 453 to 370, with 316 counters unchanged, 494 untraded and 39 others suspended.
Total volume rose to 1.82 billion units worth RM 2.30 billion from yesterday's 1.63 billion shares worth RM1.77 billion.
Among top gainers, Aeon Credit Service added 68 sen to RM15.98, KLCC Prop & Reits-Stapled Sec rose 24 sen to RM6.53, YTL Corporation edged up 2.0 sen to RM1.62 and Hong Leong Financial Group gained 18 sen to RM16.14.
Among actives, newly listed Econpile Holdings gained 16.5 sen to 70.5 sen.
Sumatec earned half a sen to 32 sen and Malaysia Airlines shed one sen to 20 sen.
Of the heavyweights, Maybank increased three sen to RMRM9.83, Axiata was flat at RM6.97, Public Bank dipped four sen to RM19.58, TNB climbed four sen to RM12.18 and CIMB firmed two sen to RM7.32.
Main Market volume rose to 1.57 billion units worth RM2.24 billion from last Friday's 1.21 billion units worth RM1.7 billion.
Turnover on the ACE market declined to 205.36 million shares valued at RM48.7 million from 343.74 million shares valued at RM61.72 million previously.
Warrants decreased to 18.55 million units worth RM2.29 million from 20.54 million units worth RM2.67 million on Friday.
Consumer products accounted for 72.01 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products 301.07 million, construction 253.20 million, trade and services 605.90 million, technology 43.93 million, infrastructure 17.25 million, SPAC 29.79 million, finance 74.81 million, hotels 3.9 million, properties 126.573 million, plantations 37.93 million, mining 117,400, REITs 7.57 million and closed/fund 40,000.-- Bernama
