KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 7 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia traded higher on Monday, supported by renewed buying interest in selected banking and telecommunications heavyweights, an analyst said. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 6.69 points, or 0.39 per cent, to 1,714.79, compared with Friday’s close of 1,708.10. The benchmark index opened 1.60 points higher at 1,709.70 and fluctuated between 1,708.26 and 1,715.29 throughout the trading session. The broader market, however, was negative with losers outpacing gainers 611 to 488, while 580 counters were unchanged, 1,109 untraded and 25 suspended. Turnover declined to 3.60 billion units valued at RM2.45 billion from 4.33 billion units valued at RM2.98 billion on Friday.
KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 31): The FBM KLCI closed 1.49 points or 0.09% lower on the final trading day of the year today after investors took profit and as they evaluated China's weaker purchasing managers' index (PMI) data. At Bursa Malaysia, the KLCI settled at 1,690.58 at 5pm for a year-to-date gain of 5.91%. Investors took profit today after the KLCI rose to its intraday high at 1,701.10 amid crude oil price gains. At 5pm, the biggest decliners, in percentage terms, among the KLCI's 30 component stocks were Maxis Bhd and Hong Leong Financial Group Bhd while gainers were led by MISC Bhd and Sime Darby Bhd. Maxis and Hong Leong Financial shares were down 2% and 1.59% respectively. MISC and Sime Darby Bhd gained 1.82% and 1.69% respectively. On the KLCI, Inter-Pacific Research Sdn Bhd head of research Pong Teng Siew wrote in a note today: "If corporate earnings continue their disappointing trajectory and turn in flat for the year, our expectati...