Market Daily Report: Bursa ends lower on broad-based selling

KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 29): Bursa Malaysia bucked the regional trend to end the week sharply lower due to broad-based selling, said Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd equity research vice president Thong Pak Leng.

With the key index falling 1.10%, investors exercised caution due to global inflation concerns, fuelled by elevated crude oil prices and the looming US government shutdown.

At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) eased 15.94 points to 1,424.17 to mark its intraday low from Wednesday’s close of 1,440.11.

The benchmark index, which opened 3.72 points easier at 1,436.39, hit an intraday high of 1,436.97 in the morning session before succumbing to selling pressure in late trading.

On the broader market, decliners beat gainers 578 to 379 while 438 counters were unchanged, 990 untraded and 98 others suspended.

Turnover increased to 3.03 billion units worth RM2.43 billion from 2.97 billion units worth RM1.94 billion on Wednesday.

Market Daily Report: Bursa ends lower amid mixed regional market

KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 27): Bursa Malaysia finished lower on Wednesday amid a mixed regional market and after a volatile Wall Street overnight, a dealer said.

At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) dropped 5.44 points to 1,440.11 from Tuesday’s close of 1,445.55, after opening 4.69 points easier at 1,440.86. 

The benchmark index moved between 1,436.75 and 1,441.87 throughout the session. 

On the broader market, decliners beat gainers 572 to 341 while 442 counters were unchanged, 1,032 untraded and 100 others suspended.

Turnover dropped to 2.97 billion units worth RM1.94 billion from 3.15 billion units worth RM1.95 billion yesterday.

Apex Securities Bhd head of research Kenneth Leong said investors were also offloading shares ahead of a public holiday on Thursday. He expects the downward pressure to be sustained going forward in view of the lack of fresh leads, coupled with the ongoing concerns over the high-interest rate environment which may potentially dampen the economic outlook.

“Technically, 1,433 points will serve as the immediate support. Any recovery may see gains (capped at) the 1,464 to 1,470 level,” he said.

Bursa Malaysia Bhd and its subsidiaries will be closed on Thursday in conjunction with Prophet Muhammad's Birthday (Maulidur Rasul).

Meanwhile, investors are also keeping a close tab on the US second-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) data to be released on Wednesday night. On Tuesday, the S&P 500 tumbled 1.5% for its fifth loss in six days, closing at 4,273.53. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.1% to 33,618.88 and the Nasdaq composite lost 1.6% to 13,063.61. 

At the close, Bursa heavyweight counters Maybank Bhd added one sen to RM8.88 and Tenaga Nasional Bhd gained eight sen to RM10.02 while CIMB Group Holdings Bhd was flat at RM5.55. Public Bank Bhd fell five sen to RM4.14 and Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd lost 11 sen to RM7.22. 

Of the actives, Evergreen Max Cash Capital Bhd increased by 3.5 sen to 35 sen while Velesto Energy Bhd and KNM Group Bhd were half a sen higher at 25.5 sen and 51 sen, respectively. MyEG Services Bhd eased two sen to 78 sen and Vsolar Group Bhd went down 4.5 sen to 18 sen.

On the index board, the FBM Emas Index declined by 46.5 points to 10,663.14, the FBMT 100 Index was 46.65 points easier at 10,326.84 and the FBM Emas Shariah Index went down 44.34 points to 10,921.8.

The FBM ACE Index weakened by 39.16 points to 5,158.67 and the FBM 70 Index slumped 97.13 points to 14,167.24.

Market Daily Report: Bursa closes marginally higher on bargain hunting

KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 26): Bursa Malaysia ended marginally higher due to bargain-hunting activities following Monday’s sell-off.

At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) was 2.1 points higher to 1,445.55 from Monday’s close of 1,443.45.

The index opened 0.66 of a point easier at 1,442.79 and moved between 1,441.89 and 1,447.05 throughout the day.

On the broader market, decliners beat gainers 564 to 367, while 451 counters were unchanged, 1,006 untraded and 12 others suspended.

Turnover was slightly lower at 3.15 billion units worth RM1.95 billion from 3.33 billion units worth RM2.04 billion yesterday.

Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd equity research vice-president Thong Pak Leng said key regional indices ended mostly lower due to fears of higher interest rates in the US, which may slow down the global technology sector.

He noted that US Treasury yields reached a 16-year high on Tuesday, maintaining the dollar’s proximity to a 10-month peak and indicating that interest rates are poised to remain elevated in the near term.

“On the domestic front, we expect investor sentiment to remain cautious despite today’s (Tuesday) rebound.

“Nonetheless, with continuous support from foreign funds, we believe the outlook for local equities should remain stable,” he said.

Thong, therefore, maintains the weekly KLCI target between 1,440 and 1,460, with immediate support at 1,440 and resistance at 1,460.

At the close, Bursa heavyweights Maybank Bhd was flat at RM8.87, Public Bank Bhd, CIMB Group Holdings Bhd and Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd added one sen each to RM4.19, RM5.55 and RM7.33, respectively.

Tenaga Nasional Bhd, meanwhile, fell two sen to RM10.12. 

Market Daily Report: Bursa retreats on profit taking

KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 25): Bursa Malaysia retreated from its gains last week to close lower on Monday, due to profit-taking activities amidst mixed performance by regional markets, a dealer said.

At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) fell 6.78 points to 1,443.45 from Friday’s Sept 22) close of 1,450.23.

The index opened 0.4 of a point easier at 1,449.83 and moved between 1,441.17 and 1,450.32 throughout the day.

Market breadth was negative as decliners beat gainers 555 to 392, while 448 counters were unchanged, 1,004 untraded and 49 others suspended.

Turnover was slightly higher at 3.33 billion units worth RM2.04 billion from 3.13 billion units worth RM2.08 billion last week.

Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd equity research vice-president Thong Pak Leng said key regional indices were mixed as investors were cautious ahead of inflation data from across the region this week.

Meanwhile, he said the Wall Street’s losses over the weekend, concerns over China’s property sector, the US government’s shutdown and the continued strike by American autoworkers also took a toll on investors’ sentiments.

“As for the local bourse, we viewed today's (Sept 25) sell-down as a good opportunity to bargain hunt stocks at a lower level as valuations of local equities remain attractive, particularly the blue chips.

“At the same time, Brent crude remains elevated at US$93.96 (RM439.92) per barrel, and we reckon that this is a buying opportunity for local oil and gas stocks,” he said.

As such, Thong reckoned the key index to trend within the range of 1,440-1,460 for the week, with immediate support at 1,440 and resistance at 1,460.

At the close, Bursa heavyweights Maybank was down by one sen to RM8.87, both Public Bank Bhd and Tenaga Nasional Bhd were two sen lower at RM4.18 and RM10.14, respectively, CIMB Group Holdings Bhd fell five sen to RM5.54 and Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd slid three sen to RM7.32.

Market Daily Report: Bursa snaps four-day losing streak, ends firmer

KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 22): Bursa Malaysia ended the week higher due to a positive regional performance, according to an analyst, breaking a four-day losing streak.

At 5pm on Friday, the FBM KLCI had risen 2.02 points to 1,450.23, from Thursday’s close at 1,448.21.

The index opened 2.33 points weaker at 1,445.88, and moved between 1,441.50 and 1,450.69 throughout the day.

The broader market was positive, with advancers leading decliners 504 to 403, while 472 counters were unchanged, 1,012 untraded, and 49 others suspended.

Turnover declined to 3.13 billion units worth RM2.08 billion, from 3.25 billion units worth RM2.13 billion on Thursday.

Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd equity research vice-president Thong Pak Leng said the KLCI finished marginally higher due to late buying, particularly for telecommunications, plantation, and energy stocks. 

He said key regional indices trended higher on Friday, despite the US Federal Reserve’s hawkish tone on the interest rate trajectory.

“We believe this is due to bargain-hunting activities, following a few days of selldown. Furthermore, the  Bank of Japan left its monetary policy unchanged after its latest meeting today (Friday),” he told Bernama. 

Thong cautioned that prolonged high US interest rates would cause uncertainty and volatility in regional markets.

At the close, Bursa heavyweight counters Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank) was down by two sen to RM8.88, Public Bank Bhd lost one sen to RM4.20, Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd gained four sen to RM7.35, Tenaga Nasional Bhd expanded 10 sen to RM10.16, while CIMB Group Holdings Bhd was flat at RM5.59.

Market Daily Report: Bursa ends lower in sync with regional markets

KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 21): Bursa Malaysia closed lower for the fourth consecutive day on Thursday, due to cautious sentiments within the regional economies, said an analyst. 

At 5pm, the FBM KLCI had fallen 3.35 points to 1,448.21, from Wednesday’s close at 1,451.56.

The index opened 1.21 points better at 1,452.77, and moved between 1,446.80 and 1,453.97 throughout the day.

The broader market was negative, with decliners leading advancers 549 to 362, while 487 counters were unchanged, 976 untraded, and 11 others suspended.

Turnover declined to 3.25 billion units worth RM2.13 billion, from 3.56 billion units worth RM2.51 billion on Wednesday.

SPI Asset Management managing director Stephen Innes said key regional indices were in the red on Thursday, following the US Federal Reserve’s hawkish stance. 

“Global markets think US yields could push higher. So, as the day wore on, the narrative has shifted back to the most precarious dynamics for global stock markets as US  interest rates are making fresh highs, which impinges on Asian markets like Bursa,” he told Bernama.

At Thursday's close, Japan’s Nikkei 225 had fallen 1.37% to 32,571.03, South Korea’s Kospi dropped 1.75% to 2,514.97, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index shed 1.29% to 17,655.41.

Singapore’s Straits Times Index slid 1.12% to 3,205.53, and China’s SSE Composite Index contracted 0.77% to 3,084.70.

Market Daily Report: Bursa ends lower for third consecutive day

KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 20): Bursa Malaysia ended lower for the third day in a row on Wednesday amid a mainly negative regional performance, said an analyst. 

At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) fell 6.1 points to 1,451.56 from Tuesday’s close of 1,457.66. The index opened 5.03 points weaker at 1,452.63 and moved between 1,450.37 and 1,456.77 throughout the day.

However, the broader market was positive with advancers outpacing decliners 537 to 423 while 440 counters were unchanged, 974 untraded, and 11 others suspended.

Turnover declined to 3.56 billion units worth RM2.51 billion from 3.95 billion units worth RM2.14 billion on Tuesday.

Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd equity research vice-president Thong Pak Leng said key regional indices finished mostly lower as investors were cautiously awaiting the outcome of the highly-anticipated US Federal Reserve (Fed) meeting on interest rates later on Wednesday night.

"If there are no surprises from the US Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting, the local and regional sentiment may turn positive," he said, adding that the People's Bank of China (PBOC) maintained its benchmark lending rates on Wednesday, as expected by the market. 

On the domestic front, Thong said Wednesday's retreat was a good opportunity to bargain hunt stocks at a lower level going forward.

"We are cautiously optimistic about the market’s outlook given the return of foreign funds and strong support from local institutions, hence we believe the benchmark index will stage a rebound in the near term.

"Hence, we anticipate the FBM KLCI to trend within 1,450 to 1,460 for the rest of the week,” he said.

At the close, Bursa heavyweight counters Maybank Bhd lost five sen to RM8.86, Public Bank Bhd eased one sen to RM4.19 and Tenaga Nasional Bhd dropped two sen to RM10.12.

Market Daily Report: KLCI ends slightly lower, broader market firmer

KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 19): Bursa Malaysia’s key index ended slightly lower after a bumpy trading session while the broader market was firmer on lack of buying interest as investors focused on small- and mid-cap stocks.

At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) fell 0.33 of a point to 1,457.66 from Monday’s close of 1,457.99.

The index opened 1.27 points lower at 1,456.72 and moved between 1,454.61 and 1,459.0 throughout the day.

The broader market was positive with advancers outpacing decliners 519 to 406, while 453 counters were unchanged, 996 untraded and 11 others suspended.

Turnover was marginally higher at 3.95 billion units worth RM2.14 billion from 3.38 billion units worth RM2.12 billion on Monday.

Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd equity research vice-president Thong Pak Leng said key regional indices finished mostly lower due to cautious trading ahead of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting on Wednesday (Sept 20) while the Bank of Japan (BOJ) will announce its interest rate policy on Friday (Sept 22).

Brent crude oil continued its rally amid tighter supply, stoking worries about stagflation, Thong said.

Back home, the benchmark is well-supported thanks to the return of foreign funds.

“Despite the cautious market undertone in the region, we expect bargain hunting will prevail given the cheap valuation of local stocks, persistent support from local institutions and the return of foreign funds.

“We therefore maintain our weekly FBM KLCI target at the 1,450-1,465 range with immediate resistance at 1,465 and support at 1,445,” he said.

At the close, Bursa heavyweights Maybank Bhd lost two sen to RM8.91, CIMB Holdings Group Bhd fell one sen to RM5.75, while Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd added three sen to RM7.30. 

Market Daily Report: Bursa closes easier on mild profit taking

KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 18): Bursa Malaysia closed marginally lower due to mild profit-taking following last Friday's (Sept 15) rally, said an analyst. 

At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) fell 1.04 points to 1,457.99 from last Friday’s closing of 1,459.03.

The barometer index opened 2.07 points lower at 1,456.96 and moved between 1,452.86 and 1,458.46 throughout the day.

The broader market was weaker with losers outpacing gainers 498 to 468, while 396 counters were unchanged, 1,011 untraded and 23 others suspended.

Turnover decreased to 3.38 billion units worth RM2.12 billion from 4.02 billion units worth RM4.31 billion last Friday.

Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd equity research vice-president Thong Pak Leng said most key regional indices were also in the negative territory as investors are watching central banks closely for their decisions on policy rates. 

The People's Bank of China (PBOC) is scheduled to decide on its key loan prime rates on Wednesday (Sept 20), while the Bank of Japan (BOJ) is scheduled to hold its meeting on Friday (Sept 22). 

“The prevailing market consensus is that these central banks will probably keep the rates at their existing record low. 

“As for the local bourse, we believe today's selldown provides opportunities for investors to embark on bargain hunting, particularly oil and gas stocks," he told Bernama. 

Hence, Thong anticipates the KLCI to trend within the 1,450-1,465 range for the week. 

From the technical point of view, the benchmark index has formed a new support level at 1,445 from 1,440 previously, while resistance remains unchanged at 1,465, he said.

Market Daily Report: Bursa rebounds as positive China economic data lifts sentiment

KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 15): Bursa Malaysia bounced to close at its intra-day high on Friday as China’s better-than-expected latest economic data lifted regional sentiment.

At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) bagged 9.45 points to 1,459.03 from Thursday’s close of 1,449.58. The index opened 0.49 points lower at 1,449.09 and hit an intra-day low of 1,448.75.

On the broader market, gainers outnumbered decliners 550 to 387 while 428 counters were unchanged, 1,008 untraded and 23 suspended.

Turnover jumped to 4.02 billion units worth RM4.31 billion against Thursday’s 2.96 billion units worth RM2.20 billion.

Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd equity research vice-president Thong Pak Leng said regional market undertones continued to improve as investors cheered the release of China's retail sales and industrial output figures for August that far surpassed economists' expectations. The country’s retail sales grew by 4.6% last month compared to a year ago, while industrial production expanded 4.5%.

Market sentiment also got a boost from China’s move late Thursday to cut its reserve requirement ratio by 25 basis points, injecting around US$69 billion (RM323.2 billion) to aid its economic recovery.

“Market confidence is also on the rise as investors anticipate a halt in the US interest rate hike. As a result, we expect the domestic benchmark index to continue its upswing,” he told Bernama.

At the close, Petronas Chemicals led heavyweight counters, surging 26 sen, or 3.63%, to RM7.43, followed by Kuala Lumpur Kepong, which surged RM1.60, or 7.37%, at RM23.32.

Sime Darby Plantations jumped 18 sen, or 4.09%, to RM4.58 while CIMB was up nine sen at RM5.78. Tenaga Nasional similarly rose nine sen to RM10.06.

Of the actives, Sapura Energy eased half a sen to 5.5 sen while YTL was flat at RM2.08 and Ekovest gained 2.5 sen to 55 sen.

Market Daily Report: Bursa closes lower even as hope of US rate hike pause grows

KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 14): Shares on Bursa Malaysia ended lower on Thursday although volatility subsided amid renewed hope of a US Federal Reserve’s rate hike pause after the latest US inflation data.

At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) slid 3.96 points to 1,449.58 from Wednesday’s close of 1,453.54.

The index opened 4.32 points lower at 1,449.22 and fluctuated between 1,445.31 and 1,455.09 throughout the session.

On the broader market, gainers outnumbered decliners 527 to 342 while 459 counters were unchanged, 1,006 untraded and nine suspended.

Turnover was higher at 2.96 billion units worth RM2.20 billion against Wednesday’s 2.51 billion units worth RM1.88 billion.

Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd equity research vice-president Thong Pak Leng said the FBM KLCI finished in negative territory as investors shifted their buying interest to smaller cap stocks.

“Buying interest can be seen mainly on plantation, healthcare and telco stocks while the energy sector was under selling pressure,” he told Bernama.

He said the domestic market’s tone is now more steady as compared with the start of the week after the release of the US Consumer Price Index (CPI) data.

He added that bargain-hunting activities also can be seen in most regional bourses following the sell-down in the past few days as investors held the belief that the marginal positive inflation surprise in the US is unlikely to result in higher interest rates.

US CPI accelerated to 3.7% in August compared with market predictions of 3.6%.

At home, heavyweight Maybank traded at ex-dividend Thursday in respect of the single-tier first interim dividend for the financial year ending Dec 31, 2023.

At closing, its shares rose one sen to RM8.84 compared with the reference price of RM8.83 while Public Bank added three sen to RM4.17. Axiata also added three sen to RM2.50.

Market Daily Report: Bargain hunting helps KLCI to end in positive territory

KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 13): Bursa Malaysia’s barometer index unexpectedly made a positive ending with slight gains despite cautious trading throughout the day.

Investors, meanwhile, await the release of US inflation data later which could influence the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) policy outlook.

At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) improved by 0.15 of a point to end at its intraday high of 1,453.54.

The index opened 6.36 points lower at 1,444.81 from 1,453.39 at Tuesday’s close. 

Market breadth was mixed, with 480 decliners outnumbering 405 gainers, while 440 counters were unchanged and 1,009 untraded. 

Turnover was lower at 2.51 billion units worth RM1.88 billion against Tuesday’s 2.88 billion units worth RM1.99 billion. 

Investors are showing interest in undervalued stocks in the oil and gas industry due to a rise in oil prices, which have reached a nearly 10-month high due to supply constraints.

This trend is also observed in other industries such as plantations, healthcare, energy, technology, and construction.

Market Daily Report: Bursa ends easier amid mixed regional markets

KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia closed slightly lower amid mixed regional market sentiments as investors awaited the US inflation data, said an analyst.  

At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) fell 1.65 points to 1,453.39 from 1,455.04 at Monday's close. 

After opening 0.75 of a point lower at 1,454.29, the barometer index moved between 1,447.96 and 1,454.32 throughout the session.

On the broader market, decliners thumped gainers by 524 to 354, with 450 counters unchanged and 994 untraded. 

However, turnover was marginally higher at 2.88 billion units worth RM1.99 billion against Monday’s 2.8 billion units worth RM1.64 billion. 

Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd equity research vice-president Thong Pak Leng said key regional indices closed mixed ahead of the US consumer price index data which could influence the US Federal Reserve's (Fed) decision to raise the interest rates further.

The US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen reportedly said she was “feeling very good" about the chance the US would avoid a recession while still reining in consumer price increases, a key factor in the Fed debate.

On the other hand, Thong said China's consumer prices reverted to positive figures in August, signalling a possible reduction in deflationary pressures amid growing economic stability. 

Market Daily Report: Bursa closes flat amid mixed regional performance

KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 11): Bursa Malaysia's FBM KLCI pared losses and eked out marginal gains at the close on Monday, on the back of financial counters amid a mixed regional performance dampened by worries over China’s property sector.

At 5pm, the KLCI added 0.09 of a point to 1,455.04 from 1,454.95 at Friday’s close. After opening 1.23 points weaker at 1,453.72, the barometer index moved between 1,451.37 and 1,455.56 throughout the session.

On the broader market, decliners thumped gainers by 609 to 295, with 445 counters unchanged and 974 untraded. Turnover increased to 2.8 billion units worth RM1.64 billion against Friday’s 2.55 billion units worth RM1.85 billion.

Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd equity research vice-president Thong Pak Leng reckons some bargain hunting might emerge going forward due to the cheap valuations of the benchmark. Thus, he expects the KLCI to trend sideways with an upside bias within the range of 1,445-1,465 for the week.

"However, we believe investors may refrain from making substantial moves due to the lack of compelling buying incentives amid the prevailing jittery market sentiment caused by heightened global market risks and volatility," he said.

Market Daily Report: Bursa extends loss on weaker regional market sentiment

KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 8): Bursa Malaysia extended Thursday's losses to end lower on Friday, in line with weaker regional market sentiment, due to growing concerns over the bearish economic outlook, dealers said.

At 5pm, the FBM KLCI had declined 5.12 points to settle at 1,454.59, from 1,460.07 at Thursday’s close.

The barometer index opened 0.53 of a point easier at 1,459.54, and moved between 1,454.70 and 1,460.23 throughout the day.

On the broader market, decliners thumped gainers 503 to 364, with 443 counters unchanged, 1,013 untraded, and seven others suspended.

Turnover decreased to 2.55 billion units worth RM1.85 billion, against Thursday’s 3.21 billion units worth RM2.02 billion.

Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd equity research vice-president Thong Pak Leng said the KLCI finished lower, as investor sentiment was affected by a major selldown in the region.

“Key regional indices trended lower, with strong selling in the Japanese stock market, as Japan's economy grew slower than expected [in the second quarter]. The Hong Kong market was closed, due to a storm warning. Meanwhile, tech stocks in the region continued to tumble, due to deepening US-China tensions,” he told Bernama.

Malaysia Daily Report: Bursa ends lower, tracking weaker regional markets

KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 7): Bursa Malaysia ended lower on Thursday, in line with weaker sentiments on regional markets, as investors remained cautious over the bearish economic outlook, dealers said.

At 5pm, the FBM KLCI had eased 0.55 of a point to end at 1,460.07, from 1,460.62 at Wednesday’s close.

On the broader market, decliners thumped gainers 531 to 386, with 458 counters unchanged, 932 untraded, and seven others suspended.

Turnover decreased to 3.21 billion units worth RM2.02 billion, against Wednesday’s 4.18 billion units worth RM2.13 billion.

A dealer said that most Asian stocks were on a downtrend on Thursday, following a sell-off on Wall Street, and as investors assessed trade data from China and Australia.

“Chinese imports and exports fell 7.3% and 8.8% year-on-year respectively, less than the 9.0% and 9.2% drops forecast by a poll of economists by Reuters,” he said.

He said all three major Wall Street indices, namely the Dow Jones, Nasdaq Composite and S&P 500, saw an overnight sell-off, due to growing concerns that the US Federal Reserve may hike interest rates in the near future.

On the local front, Bank Negara Malaysia’s Monetary Policy Committee decided to maintain the overnight policy rate (OPR) at 3.0%, marking the third consecutive session where the committee opted to keep the OPR at that level.

In a statement on Thursday, the central bank said that at the current OPR level, the monetary policy stance remains supportive of the economy, and is consistent with the current assessment of inflation and growth prospects.

Among the heavyweights, Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank) slipped one sen to RM9.17, Tenaga Nasional Bhd declined nine sen to RM9.87, Public Bank Bhd was flat at RM4.25, while CIMB Group Holdings Bhd rose two sen to RM5.74, and Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd advanced five sen to RM7.17.

Market Daily Report: Bursa ends higher amid mixed regional performance

UALA LUMPUR (Sept 6): Bursa Malaysia ended higher on Wednesday, driven by bargain-hunting in selected financial and energy blue chips amid a mixed performance in regional markets, dealers said.

At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 5.79 points to end at 1,460.62 from 1,454.83 at Tuesday’s close.

The barometer index opened 0.18 of a point higher at 1,455.01 and moved between 1,454.25 and 1,463.04 during the session. On the broader market, gainers thumped decliners 531 to 380, with 458 counters unchanged, 942 untraded and seven others suspended.

Turnover increased marginally to 4.18 billion units worth RM2.13 billion against Tuesday’s 4.09 billion units worth RM2.39 billion.

CIMB Group Holding Bhd and Mr DIY Group Bhd were the top two contributors towards the local benchmark index’s uptrend with a total of 2.31 points,, rising seven sen each to RM5.72 and RM1.52, respectively.

Market Daily Report: Bursa ends lower, tracking weaker regional bourses

KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 5): Bursa Malaysia ended lower on Tuesday, driven by continuous selling in selected plantation and financial services counters, in tandem with the weaker performance on the regional markets, dealers said.

At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) declined 7.89 points to end at 1,454.83 from 1,462.72 at Monday’s close.

The barometer index opened 0.14 of a point easier at 1,462.58, being the highest point for the day and moved to as low as 1,452.48 during the session.

On the broader market, decliners outpaced gainers 688 to 309, with 403 counters unchanged, 899 untraded and seven others suspended.

Turnover increased marginally to 4.09 billion units worth RM2.39 billion against Monday’s 4.01 billion units worth RM2.37 billion.

Sime Darby Plantation Bhd and CIMB Group Holdings Bhd were the top two contributors towards the local benchmark index’s downtrend, declining 10 sen and six sen to RM4.34 and RM5.65 respectively, with a total of 2.28 points.

Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd equity research vice-president Thong Pak Leng said the KLCI finished marginally lower in tandem with the negative performance of regional bourses.

“Key regional indices trended lower due to profit-taking activities following the recent rally. Meanwhile, the selldown on China’s property stocks also weighed on market sentiment,” he said.

As for the local bourse, he said the selling activity witnessed over the past two days may sent the signal that the market is ripe for bargain hunting, thanks to the ongoing low valuations.

“Hence, we expect the benchmark index to stage a rebound in the near future. As such, we maintain our weekly FBM KLCI target at 1,455-1,475 with immediate resistance at 1,490 and support at 1,440,” he added.

Among other heavyweights, Maybank Bhd slipped two sen to RM9.13, Public Bank Bhd went down three sen to RM4.25, IHH Healthcare Bhd was flat at RM5.92 while Tenaga Nasional Bhd rose a sen to RM9.91 and Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd advanced two sen to RM7.14.

Market Daily Report: Bursa ends lower on profit taking

KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 4): Bursa Malaysia ended marginally lower on Monday amid continuous mild profit taking in selected heavyweights and bullish sentiment on the regional market, dealers said.

At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) eased 0.71 of a point to end at 1,462.72 from 1,463.43 at Friday’s (Sept 1) close.

The barometer index opened 0.64 of a point firmer at 1,464.07 and moved between 1,460.84 and 1,465.93 during the day.

On the broader market, decliners outpaced gainers 526 to 489, with 404 counters unchanged, 896 untraded and 31 others suspended.

Turnover decreased to 4.01 billion units worth RM2.37 billion against Friday’s 4.65 billion units worth RM3.08 billion.

Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd equity research vice-president Thong Pak Leng said the KLCI ended in negative territory due to profit-taking activities during the final minutes of trading.

“Meanwhile, major regional indices moved in an upward direction, riding the wave of optimism surrounding China. All eyes are on Beijing for further steps to boost economic growth, especially any measures targeted at shoring up the property market.

“At the same time, investors were also anticipating China’s trade data for the week, following last week’s release of purchasing managers’ index data, which indicated some improvement in the world’s second-largest economy,” he said.

On the domestic front, despite the profit-takings, Thong said the market undertone is expected to remain strong given the support from local institutions, foreign buying and increasing retail participation.

Market Daily Report: Bursa closes at intraday high amid upbeat regional market performance

KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 1): Bursa Malaysia ended higher on Friday in sync with regional bourses’ upbeat performance as market sentiment turned positive and fuelled investors' risk appetite.

At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 11.49 points to end at the intraday high of 1,463.43 from 1,451.94 at Wednesday's close.

The barometer index opened 9.97 points firmer at 1,461.91 and fell as low as 1,454.67 during the day.

On the broader market, gainers outpaced decliners 567 to 424, while 398 counters unchanged, 937 untraded and 33 others suspended.

Turnover decreased to 4.65 billion units worth RM3.08 billion against Wednesday’s 4.9 billion units worth RM4.75 billion. (The market was closed on Thursday for the National Day celebration.) 

Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd equity research vice-president Thong Pak Leng said the KLCI ended higher with buying focused mainly on telecommunication and commodity-related stocks.

“Key regional markets were mostly in the green as China's manufacturing sector saw growth in August, accompanied by a central bank decision to reduce reserve requirements aimed at economic stimulation.

“The Caixin/S&P global manufacturing purchasing managers' index reached 51.0 for August, surpassing the Reuters-surveyed analysts' expectation of 49.3,” he said, adding that the Hong Kong market was shut down due to Super Typhoon Saola.

Among the heavyweights, Maybank Bhd added four sen to RM9.15, Public Bank Bhd gained one sen to RM4.24, CIMB Group Holdings Bhd surged 11 sen to RM5.74, and Tenaga Nasional Bhd perked eight sen to RM9.92, while Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd was flat at RM7.12.

Of the actives, Ekovest Bhd edged up 2.5 sen to 56.5 sen, Malaysian Resources Corp Bhd rose 4.5 sen to 49.5 sen, Jaks Resources Bhd increased 3.5 sen to 23.5 sen, Sapura Energy Bhd improved half a sen to 5.5 sen, and Top GloveCorp Bhd slid 2.5 sen to 74 sen.