KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia finished slightly higher yesterday on mild buying interests, dealers said.
The benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) ended 0.55 of-a-point better at 1,722.47 from Monday’s close of 1,721.92.
The index opened 0.53 of-a-point higher at 1,722.45 and moved between 1,719.12 and 1,727.39 throughout the day.
On the broader market, losers led gainers by 473 to 444, with 363 counters unchanged, 440 untraded and 23 others were suspended.
Volume rose to 3.92 billion units valued at RM3.25 billion from Monday’s close of 3.78 billion units worth RM3.08 billion.
A dealer said Bursa Malaysia managed to see some buying demand for blue-chips and small-capitalised stocks when most of its Asian peers were trading downwards on negative buying sentiment.
“Investors were cautious ahead of the expected US interest rate increase, scheduled to be announced at the end of the two-day Federal Reserve Open Market Committee meeting,” he said.
Among the heavyweights, Maybank gained five sen to RM8.85 and IHH rose three sen to RM5.87.
Tenaga fell four sen to RM13.74 and Public Bank eased two sen to RM19.84.
Of the actives, Borneo Oil inched up one sen to 18 sen, Iskandar Waterfront jumped 21 sen to RM2.80, Bio Osmo increased 3.5 sen to 10 sen and Luster Industries was 1.5 sen better at 11 sen.
The FBM Emas Index rose 4.89 points to 12,175.14 and the FBMT100 Index improved 0.70 of-a-point to 11,833.01.
The FBM Emas Shariah Index was 16.68 points lower at 12,570.52.
The FBM Ace advanced 52.50 points to 5,372.65.
The FBM 70 declined 10.73 points to 14,143.65.
Sector-wise, the Industrial Index inched up 4.23 points to 3,242.59 and the Finance Index rose 32.55 points to 15,482.48.
The Plantation Index gave up 4.33 points to 8,111.65.
The Main Market turnover rose to 3.92 billion units worth RM3.25 billion from 2.93 billion units worth RM2.94 billion previously.
Volume on the ACE Market decreased to 466.22 million shares valued at RM88.03 million versus 590.95 million shares valued at RM104.03 million on Monday.
Warrants improved to 266.55 million units worth RM27.14 million against 257.04 million units worth RM34.1 million previously.
Consumer products accounted for 251.33 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products (774.78 million), construction (192.76 million), trade and services (1.18 billion), technology (234.20 million), infrastructure (14.03 million), SPAC (1.89 million), finance (97.97 million), hotels (48.04 million), properties (319.89 million), plantations (44.51 million), mining (10,600), REITs (16.74 million), and closed/fund (34,000).