Shares on Bursa Malaysia end lower

KUALA LUMPUR: Shares on Bursa Malaysia ended the day lower today due to losses in selected heavyweights, amidst weak market sentiment.

The FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) finished 20.34 points weaker at 1,641.62 from Friday’s close of 1,661.96.

After opening 12.68 points lower at 1,649.28, the index moved between 1,641.62 and 1,660.66 throughout the day.

A dealer said buying sentiment on the local front was affected by the weaker performance of US markets, with all three key benchmarks having slumped last Friday, on signs of a slowing global economy.

The Nasdaq Composite declined 2.3%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 2% and the S&P 500 dropped 1.9%.

Market breadth on Bursa Malaysia was negative with 689 losers and 179 gainers, while 306 counters remained unchanged, 727 untraded and 23 others were suspended.

Total volume decreased to 1.46 billion units worth RM1.17 billion from 1.50 billion units worth RM1.39 billion traded last Friday.

Among heavyweights, Maybank fell seven sen to RM9.30, Public Bank lost 52 sen to RM24.22, Tenaga declined 34 sen to RM12.92 but Petronas Chemicals gained six sen to RM12.92.

Of actives, Bumi Armada shed 1.5 sen to 16, Sapura Energy declined one sen to 32 sen and Priceworth International added half-a-sen to six sen.

The FBM Emas Index was 161.07 points lower at 11,258.04, the FBMT 100 Index fell 155.07 points to 11,162.46, the FBM 70 declined 245.59 points to 12,947.97, the FBM Emas Syariah Index erased 160.35 points to 11,187.93 and the FBM Ace Index contracted 127.24 points to 4,262.87.

Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index gave up 237.97 points to 17,119.79, the Plantation Index decreased 88.56 points to 6,559.10 and the Industrial Products and Services Index slipped 1.36 points to 165.44.

Main Market volume rose to 1.01 billion shares worth RM1.09 billion from 938.32 million shares worth RM1.28 billion last Friday.

Warrants turnover decreased to 256.86 million units worth RM56.88 million from 358.09 million units worth RM78.45 million previously.

Volume on the ACE Market increased marginally to 198.75 million shares worth RM30.02 million from 198.15 million shares worth RM29.39 million.

Consumer products and services accounted for 135.37 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products and services (219.38 million), construction (59.32 million), technology (132.92 million), SPAC (nil), financial services (23.70 million), property (78.62 million), plantations (27.97 million), REITs (6.79 million), closed/fund (nil), energy (235.84 million), healthcare (22.17 million), telecommunication and media (13.98 million), transportation and logistics (40.74 million), and utilities (15.97 million).

The physical price of gold as at 5pm stood at RM161.02 per gramme, up one sen from RM161.01 at 5pm last Friday. — Bernama