KUALA LUMPUR, April 1 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia closed higher on Wednesday, with the key index rising 1.10 per cent, in line with firm gains across regional markets following a strong rally on Wall Street overnight, said an analyst. IPPFA Sdn Bhd director of investment strategy and country economist Mohd Sedek Jantan said the improvement in sentiment was underpinned by easing geopolitical concerns and a decline in oil prices. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) increase 18.54 points or 1.10 per cent to 1,708.90 from Tuesday’s close of 1,690.36. The benchmark index opened 25.58 points higher at 1,715.94, marking its intraday high, and hit a low of 1,700.20 during the mid-morning session. The broader market was positive, with gainers leading decliners 780 to 444. A total of 475 counters were unchanged, 926 untraded and 11 suspended.
KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 18): The FBM KLCI ended 3.35 points or 0.21% lower today at 1,571.15 after China said its economy, as measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP), grew 6% in the third quarter of 2019 (3Q2019) from a year earlier.
China's 3Q2019 GDP growth, which missed market forecast, slowed from 2Q2019's 6.2% expansion. Such sentiment weakened world markets because China is the world's second-largest economy and also a major importer of global goods.
Reuters reported that China's economic growth slowed more than expected to 6% year-on-year in 3Q2019, the weakest pace in at least 27½ years, as demand at home and abroad faltered amid a bruising US-China trade war.
It was reported that analysts polled by Reuters had forecast China's GDP to grow 6.1% in the July-September quarter from a year earlier. "Asian stocks stumbled on Friday, erasing earlier gains after China posted its weakest growth in nearly three decades, countering a global lift in sentiment on the UK and European Union striking a long-awaited Brexit deal," Reuters reported.
In Malaysia today, fund managers said a lack of market catalysts could have also resulted in the lower KLCI close.
“Despite the developments around Brexit, trade talks between US and China and the optimism from (Malaysia's) Budget 2020, the market declined due to a lack of catalysts,” Areca Capital Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Danny Wong Teck Meng told theedgemarkets.com.
Across Bursa Malaysia, 2.96 billion shares were exchanged for RM2.23 billion as plantation companies ended among top decliners. These included Genting Plantations Bhd, United Plantations Bhd and IOI Corp Bhd.
Gainers were led by Aeon Credit Service (M) Bhd, Scientex Bhd and Heineken Malaysia Bhd. Aeon Credit closed up 80 sen or 5.13% at RM16.40.
Source: The Edge

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