Bursa Malaysia finishes on easier note

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KUALA LUMPUR: There was no joy for Bursa Malaysia on Valentine’s Day yesterday as the market closed easier, taking a hit from the banking sector’s exposure to the oil and gas (O&G) sector.

Inter-Pacific Securities Sdn Bhd head of Research, Pong Teng Siew, said the local banks’ exposure was similar to Singapore’s.

“Singapore’s banks have about 1.3 per cent in exposure to the O&G sector, whereas Malaysia’s stood at about 0.5 to one per cent.

“Therefore, the investors have expressed concern over what is happening in Singapore,” he told Bernama.

At 5pm, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) lost 1.34 points to end at 1,708.90 from Monday’s close of 1,710.24.

After opening 0.27 of-a-point lower at 1,709.97, the index moved between 1,703.59 and 1,710.08 throughout the day.

Market breadth was negative with losers outpacing gainers 470 to 387, 387 counters unchanged, 451 untraded and 15 others suspended.

Volume was lower at 2.18 billion shares worth RM2.56 billion from at 2.47 billion shares worth RM2.26 billion on Monday.

It was reported that Singapore’s second-biggest lender, Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp, has dropped to a three-year-low of nearly 18 per cent in its fourth-quarter net profit, mainly due to the soured O&G services sector and weakening loan growth.

Apart from that, Pong said, US Federal Reserve Chair, Janet Yellen’s semi-annual testimony on policy before Congress on Tuesday and Wednesday, also affected the local market as investors were awaiting for a clearer direction on the interest rate announcement.

However, he expressed confidence that Bursa Malaysia would rebound in the next couple of days as the US stocks market continued to rally.

On the scoreboard, the FBM Emas Index decreased 3.43 points to 12,028.85, FBMT 100 Index edged down 0.67-of point to 11,710.05 and the FBM Emas Syariah Index slid 0.41-of point to 12,552.95.

The FBM Ace Index was 7.01 points weaker at 5,301.59.

The FBM 70 improved 31.62 points to 13,883.90.

Sector-wise, the Industrial Index rose 16.20 points to 3,277.13, Finance Index improved 23.14 points to 15,114.53 and the Plantation Index added 5.70 points to 8,244.23.

Among heavyweights, Maybank and Petronas Chemicals inched down three sen each to RM8.32 and RM7.19 respectively, Tenaga shed 14 sen to RM13.52 while Public Bank remained unchanged at RM20.22.

As for actives, Hubline and Hibiscus Petroleum eased one sen each to 14 sen and 53 sen, respectively, while IFCA MSC and Borneo Oil slid half-a-sen each to 51.5 sen and 17 sen, respectively.

Main Market turnover fell to 1.55 billion units valued at RM2.44 billion from 1.79 billion units valued at RM2.13 billion on Monday.

The ACE Market declined to 454.88 million shares worth RM97.39 million from 476.73 million shares worth RM107.42 previously.

Warrants eased to 155.30 million units valued at RM21.89 million from 179.39 million units valued

at RM27.23 million yesterday.

Consumer products accounted for 101.43 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products (358.22 million), construction (145.50 million), trade and services (648.95 million), technology (56.98 million), infrastructure (11.83 million), SPAC (4.40 million), finance (73.96 million), hotels (395,800), properties (112.29 million), plantations (33.77 million), mining (300), REITs

(11.83 million), and closed/fund (18,400).

For further information on company stocks and prices, please visit www.bursamalaysia.com.