KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 7): Bursa Malaysia was mixed in early trade, with the key index retreating from its gains on Wednesday on profit taking while the broader market performed better due to buying in small-capitalisation stocks.
At 9.05 am, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) eased 1.52 points to 1,557.9 from Wednesday’s close of 1,559.42.
It opened 1.18 points easier at 1,558.24.
On the broader market, gainers outpaced losers 244 to 152, while 255 counters were unchanged, 1,618 untraded and 27 others suspended.
Turnover stood at 250.29 million units worth RM123.06 million.
Meanwhile, Malacca Securities Sdn Bhd said market sentiment might remain positive-bias on Thursday with both the Johor and Pahang states moving into the next phase of the National Recovery Plan starting from Oct 8, while vaccination rate for adult population stood at 88.4 per cent.
“The investors may eye the recovery theme sectors, especially aviation and tourism, amid positive prospects from the resumption of interstate travel going forward,” it said in a note.
Among the heavyweights, Maybank eased two sen to RM8.06 and Tenaga shed four sen to RM9.70, while Public Bank and Petronas Chemicals were flat at RM4.06 and RM8.83, respectively.
IHH and CIMB added one sen each to RM6.63 and RM4.83, respectively.
Of the actives, KNM slipped one sen to 23 sen, Tanco inched up half-a-sen to 24 sen, SYF trimmed 3.5 sen to 39 sen, Sapura Energy was flat at 10 sen, and Sin Heng Chan gained two sen to 63.5 sen.
On the index board, the FBM Emas Index was 7.68 points higher at 11,462.12, the FBM Emas Shariah Index bagged 8.26 points to 12,591.17, the FBM 70 went up 9.79 points to 15,043.04, and the FBM ACE improved 3.92 points to 7,076.0.
However, the FBMT 100 Index slid 6.18 points to 11,116.4.
Sector-wise, the Industrial Products and Services Index edged up 0.41 of-a-point to 208.59, the Plantation Index rose 23.85 points to 6,941.08, and the Financial Services Index slipped 0.58 of-a-point to 15,204.09.-BERNAMA