KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia stayed higher at mid-day today, supported by gains in the utilities and telecommunication-linked heavyweights.
At 12.30pm, the key FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 6.48 points to 1,687.02 from Friday’s close of 1,680.54 after opening 1.29 points better at 1,681.83.
The index moved between 1,681.36 and 1,689.42 throughout the morning session.
Market breadth was slightly negative with losers outnumbering gainers 372 to 361, while 354 counters were unchanged, 807 untraded and 35 others suspended.
Turnover amounted to 2.0 billion shares worth RM884.35 million.
A dealer said although the composite index was in the positive territory, some investors remained cautious ahead of US Federal Reserve’s (Fed) March meeting, as there have been rumours that it would lower its interest rate.
“That had led the market breadth to remain slightly negative,“ he said.
Meanwhile, utilities-linked counters like Tenaga rose 26 sen to RM12.94, while Petronas Gas bagged eight sen to RM17.78.
Telecommunication-linked blue chips, including Maxis advanced 10 sen to RM5.34, while Axiata and Digi improved five sen each at RM4.25 and RM4.67, respectively.
Of the most actives, Sapura Energy was half-a-sen lower at 36sen but its warrant ticked up one sen to 14.5 sen, Iris bagged one sen to 15 sen, Orion increased 1.5 sen to 20.5 sen while PUC was unchanged at 11 sen.
The FBM Emas Index was 32.89 points firmer at 11,792, the FBMT 100 Index grew 34.28 points to 11,637.0 and the FBM Emas Shariah Index rose 55.67 points to 11,803.75.
The FBM Ace Index jumped 74.91 points to 4,909.36 but the FBM 70 was 0.80 of-a-point lower at 14,208.27.
Sector-wise, the Plantation Index perked 2.46 points to 7,258.65, the Industrial Products and Services Index was 0.10 of-a-point better at 170.80 but the Financial Services Index fell 32.32 points to 17,504.79. — Bernama
