MONEY MASTER

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 30): Bursa Malaysia recouped early losses to end in the positive territory on Wednesday (Nov 30) as bargain-hunting emerged in selected heavyweights in utilities, consumer products and services, as well as industrial products and services counters. At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 11.84 points to 1,488.8 from Tuesday's closing of 1,476.96. The market bellwether opened 0.74 of-a-point lower at 1,476.22, and moved between 1,464.81 and 1,489.78 throughout the day. Market breadth was positive with gainers leading losers 524 to 468, while 381 counters were unchanged, 917 untraded, and 67 others suspended. Turnover expanded to 4.71 billion units worth RM4.41 billion versus 3.4 billion units worth RM2.47 billion on Tuesday. Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice president of equity research Thong Pak Leng said the regional key indices trended mostly higher with strong gains in Hong Kong after Beijing announced multiple measures to ease the strict lo...

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 29): Bursa Malaysia ended the day in negative territory as profit-taking activities continue following the strong rally last Thursday (Nov 24). Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice president of equity research Thong Pak Leng said the benchmark index closed off its day’s low as buying activities emerged in the afternoon trading session. At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) eased 9.58 points to 1,476.96 from last Friday's closing of 1,486.54. The market bellwether opened 2.77 points easier at 1,483.77 and moved between 1,467.26 and 1,486.68 throughout the session. However, market breadth was positive with gainers leading losers 564 to 409, while 358 counters were unchanged, 927 untraded, and 67 others suspended. Turnover dropped to 3.4 billion units worth RM2.47 billion versus 4.41 billion units worth RM2.75 billion last Friday. Bursa Malaysia Bhd and its subsidiaries were closed on Monday (Nov 28) in conjunction with the special public holiday ann...

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 25): Bursa Malaysia reversed Thursday's (Nov 24) strong gains with the key index closing below the 1,500 psychological mark on Friday on profit taking and a weak external front. The FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) surged 4.04% on Thursday, partly driven by the appointment of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as Malaysia's 10th prime minister. At 5pm, the benchmark index fell 15.34 points or 1.02% to finish at 1,486.54, from 1,501.88 on Thursday. The market bellwether, which opened 0.18 of-a-point lower at 1,501.7 on Friday morning, subsequently moved to its day's high at 1,504.16, but thereafter slipped to its intraday low of 1,481.38 during the mid-morning session. Market breadth was weaker with decliners outpacing advancers 630 to 346, while 361 counters were unchanged, 926 untraded, and 15 others suspended. Turnover dwindled to 4.41 billion units worth RM2.75 billion versus 6.87 billion units worth RM4.19 billion on Thursday.  Losses in techn...

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 24): Bursa Malaysia rallied to a near three-month high on Thursday (Nov 24), with the key index rising by 4.04%, on bullish market sentiment following the clarity in the local political scene, coupled with positive external developments that fuel investors’ risk appetite. At 5pm, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) jumped 58.38 points to end the day at 1,501.88 compared with 1,443.5 at Wednesday’s close. The market bellwether, which opened 7.18 points higher at 1,450.68, its intraday low, thereafter moved in an upbeat momentum throughout the day and hit an intraday high of 1,502.11 in late trading. Market breadth was bullish with advancers hammering decliners 981 to 197, while 256 counters were unchanged, 899 untraded, and 84 others suspended. The brisk trading in the market saw turnover increasing sharply to 6.87 billion units worth RM4.19 billion versus 2.68 billion units worth RM1.63 billion on Wednesday. Earlier on Thursday, the ...

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 23): Bursa Malaysia snapped a three-day losing streak on Wednesday (Nov 23) despite the continuing uncertainty on the domestic political front as investors looked ahead to the US Federal Reserve’s (Fed) meeting minutes, which could offer clues on further interest rate hikes by the US. At 5pm, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) added 2.21 points to end the day at its intra-day high of 1,443.5 compared with 1,441.29 on Tuesday. The market bellwether, which opened 9.39 points weaker at 1,431.9 on Wednesday morning, moved in a volatile pattern to as low as 1,431.61 as the market weighed the pending outcome of the selection of Malaysia's 10th prime minister. Gains in Press Metal Aluminium Holdings Bhd, Sime Darby Plantation Bhd, Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd, and IHH Healthcare Bhd lifted the composite index by a combined 4.838 points. On the broader market, gainers and decliners were almost equal at 389 to 382, while 417 counters wer...

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 22): Bursa Malaysia extended its downbeat mode for the second consecutive day on Tuesday (Nov 22) as market sentiment continued to be weighed by the latest developments in the local political scenario amid a weak external front. At 5pm, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) eased 6.67 points to end trading at 1,441.29 compared with 1,447.96 on Monday. The market bellwether opened 1.24 points easier at 1,446.72 and moved between 1,435.02 and 1,451.31 throughout the day. Despite the weak opening, the FBM KLCI started the day higher on bargain-hunting activities, but the momentum declined thereafter as cautious sentiment emerged to curb investors’ risk appetite. Market breadth was negative with decliners leading advancers 427 to 363, while 415 counters were unchanged, 1,093 untraded, and 14 others suspended. Turnover increased marginally to 4.57 billion units worth RM2.11 billion versus 4.29 billion units worth RM2.5 billion on Monday. Raku...

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 21): Bursa Malaysia pared most of its early losses to close marginally lower on Monday (Nov 21), as uncertainty over the formation of a new government continued to weigh on market sentiment. At 5pm, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) shed 1.36 points, or 0.09%, to end at its intraday high of 1,447.96 against 1,449.32 last Thursday. The market bellwether, which opened 14.77 points lower at 1,434.55, moved in negative territory throughout the day with focus fixed on the final outcome of negotiations among various political parties. Selloffs during the morning session saw the FBM KLCI falling as much as 21.57 points to the day's low of 1,427.75 at one point, before shrugging off the jitters to climb steadily to recover most of the losses. The expected downtrend saw decliners outpacing advancers on the broader market by 510 to 378, while 362 counters were unchanged, 1,082 untraded, and 48 others suspended. Turnover swelled to 4.29 billi...

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 17): Bursa Malaysia snapped its three-day losing streak to end higher on Thursday (Nov 17), supported by last-minute buying, as some investors took position ahead of the 15th general election (GE15) on Saturday, a dealer said. At 5pm, the benchmark FBM KLCI index had improved 0.94 point, or 0.06%, to end at 1,449.32, its intraday high, from Wednesday's close at 1,448.38. The market bellwether opened 1.82 points easier at 1,446.56, and hit an intraday low of 1,441.57 in the afternoon session.  On the broader market, decliners outpaced gainers 521 to 313, while 405 counters were unchanged, 1,093 untraded, and 47 others suspended. Turnover widened to 2.63 billion units valued at RM1.85 billion, versus 2.32 billion units valued at RM1.71 billion on Wednesday.  Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice-president of equity research Thong Pak Leng noted that market sentiment remained cautious amid the uncertainty ahead of the GE15, while the regio...

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 16): Bursa Malaysia extended its loss on Wednesday (Nov 16) amid a weaker regional market performance, and as cautious investors offloaded shares ahead of the 15th general election (GE15), a dealer said. At 5pm, the benchmark FBM KLCI had dipped 2.16 points, or 0.15%, to end at 1,448.38, which was also the index's intraday high, from Tuesday’s close at 1,450.54. The market bellwether opened 3.04 points easier at 1,447.50, and hit an intraday low of 1,440.59 at midday.  On the broader market, decliners outpaced gainers 493 to 351, while 401 counters were unchanged, 1,080 untraded, and 13 others suspended. Turnover eased to 2.32 billion units valued at RM1.71 billion, versus 2.78 billion units valued at RM1.68 billion on Tuesday. Malacca Securities Sdn Bhd senior analyst Kenneth Leong told Bernama the KLCI remained downbeat due to selling pressure on selected heavyweight banking, plantation and glove stocks.  "...

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 15): Bursa Malaysia closed lower for a second consecutive day on Tuesday (Nov 15), with the key index falling 0.92%, as sentiment turned jittery with investors trimming their positions ahead of the 15th general election (GE15), said a dealer.  At 5pm, the benchmark FBM KLCI had lost 13.46 points to end at 1,450.54, from Monday’s close at 1,464.00.  The market bellwether opened 2.49 points easier at 1,461.51, its intraday high, and hit its day's low of 1,447.87 in the early morning session.  On the broader market, losers outpaced gainers 541 to 332, while 376 counters were unchanged, 1,076 untraded, and 13 others suspended. Turnover eased to 2.78 billion units valued at RM1.68 billion, versus 2.80 billion units valued at RM1.57 billion on Monday.    Malacca Securities Sdn Bhd senior analyst Kenneth Leong expects the cautious sentiment to linger towards the end of the week, as investors adopt the wait-and-see approach until the...

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 14): Bursa Malaysia ended lower on Monday (Nov 14) on profit-taking activities amid mixed sentiment across the region, a dealer said. At 5pm, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) fell 4.21 points, or 0.29%, to end at 1,464 compared to last Friday’s close of 1,468.21. The market bellwether opened 0.78 points better at 1,468.99, its intraday high, and hit a low of 1,459.05 in the early morning session. On the broader market, losers led gainers 445 to 431, while 393 counters were unchanged, 1,056 untraded, and 13 others suspended. Turnover eased to 2.80 billion units valued at RM1.57 billion versus 3.43 billion units valued at RM2.42 billion last Friday. Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice president of equity research Thong Pak Leng said the key regional indices ended mixed despite the broadly positive cues from Wall Street last Friday as investors took profit following the strong gains in the previous session. "On the domestic front, we are posi...

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 11): Bursa Malaysia ended broadly higher on the last day of the week, lifted by a strong recovery in global equities and the newly released positive economic data for the third quarter of 2022 (3Q2022), said a dealer. At 5pm, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) strengthened 1.27%, or 18.47 points, to 1,468.21 from Thursday's close of 1,449.74. The market bellwether, which opened 17.45 points better at 1,467.19, moved between 1,459.54 and 1,468.21 throughout the day. On the broader market, gainers trounced decliners 667 to 275, while 401 counters were unchanged, 999 untraded, and 30 others suspended. Turnover eased to 3.43 billion units valued at RM2.42 billion versus 3.47 billion units worth RM1.45 billion on Thursday. Bank Negara Malaysia on Friday (Nov 11) revealed that Malaysia's economy grew by 14.2% in 3Q2022 supported by continued expansion in domestic demand, firm recovery in the labour market, robust electrical and elec...

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 10): Bursa Malaysia closed mixed on Thursday (Nov 10) with the key index rising slightly, supported by gains in half of the key index components, particularly glove-related heavyweight stocks, amid a downbeat regional performance. At 5pm, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 0.25%, or 3.55 points, to end at 1,449.74 compared to Wednesday's close of 1,446.19. The market bellwether, which opened 3.88 points weaker at 1,442.31, moved between 1,440.76 and 1,453.27 throughout the day. However, on the broader market, decliners beat gainers 468 to 344, while 394 counters were unchanged, 1,120 untraded, and 28 others suspended. Turnover improved to 3.47 billion units valued at RM1.45 billion versus 3.07 billion units worth RM1.72 billion on Wednesday. Looking ahead, Malacca Securities Sdn Bhd senior analyst Kenneth Leong said investors' attention would be shifted towards Malaysia's third quarter gross domestic product (GDP) data, w...

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 9): Bursa Malaysia closed marginally higher on Wednesday (Nov 9), with the key index gaining 0.33%, in sync with the mixed performance in regional markets, said a dealer.  At 5pm, the benchmark FBM KLCI had risen 4.84 points to end at 1,446.19, from Tuesday's close at 1,441.35. The market bellwether, which opened 2.27 points firmer at 1,443.62, moved between 1,439.69 and 1,447.15 throughout the day.  On the broader market, gainers led losers 425 to 404, while 401 counters were unchanged, 1,085 untraded, and eight others suspended. Turnover increased to 3.07 billion units valued at RM1.72 billion, versus 3.04 billion units worth RM1.57 billion on Tuesday. Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice-president of equity research Thong Pak Leng said regionally, the key indices ended mixed, as investors awaited the US midterm election results. "On top of that, China’s annuali...

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 8): Bursa Malaysia reversed early gains to end marginally lower on Tuesday (Nov 8), weighed down by persistent profit taking, in tandem with the weakness in most regional peers as investors remain cautious ahead of the US inflation data due on Thursday, said a dealer. At 5pm, the benchmark FBM KLCI eased 0.77 of-a-point, or 0.05%, to end at 1,441.35 compared to Monday's close of 1,442.12. The market bellwether, which opened five points firmer at 1,447.12, moved between 1,433.29 and 1,447.85 throughout the day. On the broader market, losers outpaced gainers 470 to 361, while 381 counters were unchanged, 1,103 untraded, and nine others suspended. Turnover increased to 3.04 billion units valued at RM1.57 billion versus 2.79 billion units worth RM1.64 billion on Monday. Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice president of equity research Thong Pak Leng said investors were likely to stay cautious due to increasing market volatility on the domestic front. "As suc...

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 7): Bursa Malaysia reversed earlier losses to close higher on Monday (Nov 7) amid improved regional market sentiment and last-minute buying in local equities led by Maxis Bhd and PPB Group Bhd, a dealer said. At 5pm, the benchmark FBM KLCI improved 3.84 points, or 0.27%, to end at 1,442.12 compared to Friday's close of 1,438.28. The market bellwether opened 2.9 points better at 1,441.18 and hit the day's high of 1,442.66 in the early morning session. On the broader market, gainers led losers 441 to 438, while 380 counters were unchanged, 1,066 untraded, and 18 others suspended. Turnover increased to 2.79 billion units valued at RM1.64 billion versus 2.39 billion units worth RM1.72 billion last Friday. Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice president of equity research Thong Pak Leng said key indices in regional bourses trended mostly higher, following the broadly positive cues from global markets on Friday. "As for the local bourse, we are cautiously o...

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 4): The Malaysian stock market surged on Friday (Nov 4), closing at an intraday high amid a buoyant regional performance driven by hopes that China will soon relax its strict Covid-19 restrictions, dealers said. At 5pm, the benchmark FBM KLCI jumped 17.9 points, or 1.26%, to end at the intraday high of 1,438.28, compared to Thursday's close of 1,420.38. The market bellwether opened 5.14 points higher at 1,425.52 and reached the lowest level at 1,422.08. On the broader market, gainers led decliners 588 to 269, while 391 counters were unchanged, 1,078 untraded, and 19 others suspended. Turnover was slightly lower at 2.39 billion units valued at RM1.72 billion versus 2.63 billion units worth RM1.89 billion on Thursday. Malacca Securities Sdn Bhd’s senior analyst Kenneth Leong said the FBM KLCI staged a quick rebound on Friday with more than two-thirds of the key index components closing in the green. “The positive move was largely in line with gai...

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 3): Bursa Malaysia ended at an intraday low of 1,420.38 on Thursday (Nov 3), with selling pressure seen across the board, amid weak regional market sentiments, dealers said. At 5pm, the FBM KLCI had declined by 31.23 points or 2.15%, from Wednesday's close at 1,451.61. The benchmark index opened 3.29 points lower at its intraday high of 1,448.32. On the broader market, losers thumped gainers 660 to 238, while 361 counters were unchanged, 1,066 untraded, and nine others suspended. Turnover was higher at 2.63 billion units valued at RM1.89 billion, versus 2.49 billion units valued at RM1.78 billion on Wednesday. Malacca Securities Sdn Bhd senior analyst Kenneth Leong said the local bourse remained in the red throughout the day, spooked by hawkish remarks from the US Federal Reserve over the pace of future interest rate hikes as inflationary pressure persisted. The...

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 2): Bursa Malaysia reversed Tuesday's (Nov 1) losses to close in the positive territory on Wednesday in line with the strong performance on regional peers on hopes the US Federal Reserve will be less aggressive on the interest rates hike. At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) ticked up 5.69 points to 1,451.61 from Tuesday's close of 1,445.92. The key index, which opened 5.06 points higher at 1,450.98, moved between 1,442.89 and 1,451.92 throughout the day. The broader market was also positive with gainers beating gainers 487 to 340, while 442 counters were unchanged, 1,049 untraded, and 13 others suspended. Turnover was marginally lower at 2.49 billion units valued at RM1.78 billion versus 2.98 billion units valued at RM1.56 billion on Tuesday. SPI Asset Management managing partner Stephen Innes said it was a relatively quiet trading session on Wednesday as local investors pinned their hopes on the Fed being less hawkish in its interest...