KUALA LUMPUR: Share prices on Bursa Malaysia were mixed at close yesterday in the absence of participation and ahead of the two-day US Federal Reserve monetary policy meeting starting today, dealers said.
At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) was 2.95 points higher at 1,664.9 after opening 1.15 points lower at 1,660.8. The benchmark index hovered between 1,658.03 and 1,666.26 throughout the trading session.
Market breadth was negative with losers leading gainers 372 to 298, with 350 counters unchanged and 624 others untraded.
Volume decreased to 1.01 billion shares valued at RM1.36 billion from 1.28 billion shares worth RM1.46 billion yesterday.
“Buyers prefer to play safe when external market conditions do not warrant immediate buying support,” a dealer said.
Bursa Malaysia was also in line with key regional markets which ended mixed after Wall Street overnight traded between flat and marginally up at close.
Local market fundamentals though, remained intact, backed by positive newsflow.
It was reported yesterday that Malaysia is the 12th most competitive economy in the world for doing business, according to the 2013 edition of the World Bank’s ‘Doing Business’ report.
Meanwhile, the Finance Index rose 7.96 points to 14,841.77, the Plantation Index added 6.96 points to 8,163.54 and the Industrial Index increased 13.7 points to 2,894.57.
The FBM Emas Index jumped 15.5 points to 11,300.54, the FBM Mid 70 Index rose 11.329 points to 12,155.77 and the FBMT100 advanced 17.971 points to 11,140.73.
However, the FBM Ace Index was 37.1 points lower at 4,240.45. Of the actives, Tiger Synergy gained 1.5 sen to 22 sen, Emico rose two sen to 21.5 sen and TH Heavy Engineering improved one sen to 56.5 sen.
Among heavyweights, Maybank gained one sen to RM9.05, Sime Darby was flat at RM9.80 and Axiata slid one sen to RM6.65.
Volume on the Main Market decreased to 864.56 million shares valued at RM1.33 billion from 1.02 billion shares worth RM1.4 billion on Monday.
Turnover on the ACE market declined to 105 million shares worth RM19.41 million from 155 million shares valued at RM26.63 million on Monday.
Warrants rose to 38.04 million valued at RM2.77 million from 31.06 million shares worth RM2.8 million previously.
Consumer products accounted for 70.35 million shares on the Main Market, industrial products 262.7 million, construction 26.78 million, trade and services 330.84 million, technology 45.47 million, infrastructure 11.67 million, finance 38.802 million, hotels 253,400, properties 35.4 million, plantations 19.67 million, mining 198,000, REITs 223.43 million and closed/fund 87,000. — Bernama