MONEY MASTER

The Malaysian stock market experienced a modest retreat on Tuesday, with the FBM KLCI index closing down by 6.69 points, or 0.42%. The market fluctuated within a 13.09-point range, hitting an intra-day high of 1589.06 and a low of 1575.97. Sector-wise, the Finance Index fell by 0.34% to 17214.15 points, the Properties Index edged down by 0.12% to 1018.79 points, and the Plantation Index decreased by 0.30% to 7436.76 points. Trading volumes contracted slightly to 4180.48 million shares worth RM3748.22 million, compared to Monday's 4241.70 million shares valued at RM3480.47 million. The list of actively traded stocks was topped by HSI-CVZ, MYEG, ICONIC-WA, CLASSITA, ICONIC, MKHOP, HSI-HUF, FITTERS, YTL, and BPURI. Leading the gains in the KLCI index were AXIATA, TM, MAXIS, SIME, and RHBBANK, with AXIATA up by 3 sen to RM2.83, TM rising by 6 sen to RM6.19, MAXIS increasing by 3 sen to RM3.67, SIME gaining 2 sen to RM2.80, and RHBBANK advancing by 3 sen to RM5.50. On the flip side, YTL...

KUALA LUMPUR (April 24): Bursa Malaysia closed at a two-year high on Wednesday with the key index rising 0.63%, driven by a positive outlook on the local bourse and amid an upbeat performance by regional peers.  At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 9.84 points to 1,571.48 from Tuesday's close of 1,561.64. The benchmark index, which opened 3.85 points higher at 1,565.49, moved between 1,564.89 and 1,572.48 throughout the trading session. On the broader market, gainers surpassed decliners 777 to 327 while 480 counters were unchanged, 780 untraded and 21 others suspended.  Turnover improved to 4.25 billion units worth RM3.03 billion from 3.73 billion units worth RM2.79 billion on Tuesday. Mohd Sedek Jantan, head of wealth research and advisory and designated portfolio manager at UOB Kay Hian Wealth Advisors, said the KLCI was driven by a positive outlook on the Malaysian market.  “This upsurge was primarily propelled by optimism towards the techn...

KUALA LUMPUR (April 23): Bursa Malaysia continued its upbeat momentum to end higher for the fifth consecutive day on Tuesday, thanks to buying from local and foreign institutions, said an analyst.  At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 2.05 points to 1,561.64 from Monday's close of 1,559.59. The benchmark index which opened 0.22 of a point better at 1,559.81, moved between 1,559.81 and 1,567.57 throughout the trading session. On the broader market, gainers thumped decliners 642 to 402, while 507 counters were unchanged, 823 untraded and 22 others suspended.  Turnover improved to 3.73 billion units worth RM2.79 billion from 3.49 billion units worth RM2.53 billion on Monday.  Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd equity research vice president Thong Pak Leng said key regional indices also finished higher following the positive cue from global equities on hope for strong earnings from tech giants this week. He said strong earnings are expected to help off...

KUALA LUMPUR (April 22): Bursa Malaysia ended higher for the fourth consecutive day on Monday with the key index rising 0.78%, tracking the mostly higher performance in regional markets. At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 12.02 points to 1,559.59 from last Friday's close of 1,547.57. The benchmark index, which opened one point firmer at 1,548.57, moved between 1,548.38 and 1,559.94 throughout the trading session. On the broader market, gainers thumped decliners 764 to 331, while 420 counters were unchanged, 858 untraded, and 24 others suspended.  Turnover fell to 3.49 billion units worth RM2.53 billion from 4.71 billion units worth RM3.4 billion last Friday.  Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd equity research vice president Thong Pak Leng said the major regional indices finished mostly higher as worries over an expanded conflict in the Middle East eased, prompting investors to re-embrace riskier assets. "Gold and the traditionally safe-haven dollar r...

KUALA LUMPUR (April 19): Bursa Malaysia ended the week mixed on Friday with buying in selected heavyweights and commodity-related stocks amid the negative sentiment on regional markets, said an analyst.  At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 2.81 points, or 0.18%, to 1,547.57 from Thursday's close of 1,544.76. The benchmark index, which opened 1.54 points better at 1,546.3, moved between 1,545.9 and 1,552.45 throughout the trading session. The market breadth was negative with decliners thumping gainers 918 to 289, while 416 counters were unchanged, 753 untraded, and 23 others suspended.  Turnover increased to 4.71 billion units worth RM3.4 billion from 3.84 billion units worth RM2.62 billion on Thursday.   Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd equity research vice president Thong Pak Leng said the key regional indices finished lower following the rise in commodity prices due to concerns over worsening geopolitical conditions in the Middle East.  Additional...

KUALA LUMPUR (April 18): Bursa Malaysia continued its upbeat momentum to end higher for the second straight day on Thursday, due to an improvement in sentiment and a resurgence in bargain-hunting following the recent downturn, said an analyst.  At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 4.34 points, or 0.28%, to 1,544.76 from Wednesday's close of 1,540.42. The benchmark index, which opened 0.58 of a point easier at 1,539.84, moved between 1,538.68 and 1,548.46 throughout the trading session. On the broader market, gainers trounced decliners 570 to 469, while 493 counters were unchanged, 832 untraded, and 21 others suspended.  Turnover widened to 3.84 billion units worth RM2.62 billion from 3.45 billion units worth RM2.67 billion on Wednesday.   Mohd Sedek Jantan, head of wealth research and advisory and designated portfolio manager at UOB Kay Hian Wealth Advisors, said the local bourse’s performance reflected a promising step forward from the recent ...

KUALA LUMPUR (April 17): Bursa Malaysia snapped four consecutive days of losses to end higher on Wednesday as bargain hunting emerged following the recent sell-off, said an analyst.  At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 5.42 points, or 0.35%, to 1,540.42 from Tuesday’s close of 1,535.0. The benchmark index, which opened 0.05 of a point firmer at 1,535.05, moved between 1,532.95 and 1,541.88 throughout the trading session. On the broader market, gainers trounced decliners 717 to 318, while 469 counters were unchanged, 848 untraded, and 11 others suspended.  Turnover slipped to 3.45 billion units worth RM2.67 billion from 4.93 billion units worth RM3.72 billion on Tuesday. Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd equity research vice president Thong Pak Leng said most key regional indices also rebounded following the recent sell-off, which saw Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index inch up 0.02% to 16,251.84, China's SSE Composite Index improved 2.14% to 3,071.38, and Singapore’s S...

  KUALA LUMPUR (April 16): Bursa Malaysia ended lower for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, tracking the weak global sentiment due to the Middle East conflict, said an analyst.   At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) fell 7.53 points, or 0.49%, to 1,535 from Monday's close of 1,542.53. The benchmark index, which opened 1.45 points lower at 1,541.08, moved between 1,532.49 and 1,541.59 throughout the trading session. Market breadth was negative with decliners overwhelming gainers 1,159 to 133, while 275 counters were unchanged, 785 untraded, and 11 others suspended. Turnover increased to 4.33 billion units worth RM3.05 billion from 4.28 billion units worth RM3.25 billion on Monday Mohd Sedek Jantan, head of wealth research and advisory and designated portfolio manager at UOB Kay Hian Wealth Advisors, said besides rising geopolitical tensions, the weak sentiment was exacerbated by a slowing Chinese economy demonstrated by poor data for Chi...

  KUALA LUMPUR (April 15): Bursa Malaysia ended trading at an intraday low on Monday due to weak investor sentiment amid escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, said an analyst.  At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) fell 8.51 points, or 0.55%, to 1,542.53 from last Friday’s close of 1,551.04.  The benchmark index opened 5.59 points lower at 1,545.45, and reached its intraday high of 1,548.34 during the mid-morning session. Market breadth was negative with decliners leading gainers 993 to 230, while 374 counters were unchanged, 755 untraded and 11 others suspended. Turnover increased to 4.28 billion units worth RM3.25 billion from 3.88 billion units worth RM3 billion last Friday.    Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd equity research vice president Thong Pak Leng said the key regional indices were also mostly lower, with persistent concerns over higher-for-longer US interest rates weighing on investor sentiment.  Japan’s Nikkei...

KUALA LUMPUR (April 9): Bursa Malaysia closed marginally lower on Tuesday, attributed to profit-taking activities ahead of the Hari Raya Aidilfitri holidays, said Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd. At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) declined 6.47 points, or 0.42%, to 1,553.51 from yesterday's close of 1,559.98.  The benchmark index opened 0.07 of a point lower at 1,559.91, and moved between 1,553.43 and 1,565.57 throughout the trading session. On the broader market, decliners beat gainers 496 to 466, with 540 counters unchanged, 841 untraded and nine others suspended. Turnover slipped to 3.46 billion units worth RM2.06 billion compared with 3.97 billion units valued at RM2.33 billion on Monday. Rakuten Trade equity research vice president Thong Pak Leng said that on the domestic front, he expects trading to be muted in conjunction with the Hari Raya Aidilfitri holidays. "I also expect the benchmark to trend sideways with an upside bias within the 1,555 to ...

KUALA LUMPUR (April 8): Bursa Malaysia closed higher on Monday, in tandem with most regional markets spurred by the upbeat momentum on Wall Street last Friday, said an analyst. At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 4.73 points, or 0.3%, to 1,559.98 from last Friday’s close of 1,555.25. This marked the highest point for the index this year since Feb 27 when it stood at 1,558.8. The benchmark index opened 1.53 points higher at 1,556.78 and moved between 1,554.15 and 1,560.26 throughout the trading session. On the broader market, gainers led decliners 531 to 511, with 502 counters unchanged, 787 untraded and nine others suspended. Turnover declined to 3.97 billion units worth RM2.33 billion compared with 4.04 billion units valued at RM2.68 billion last Friday. Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd equity research vice-president Thong Pak Leng said the FBM KLCI ended marginally higher, in tandem with the positive performance across the region.

KUALA LUMPUR (April 5): Bursa Malaysia traded in a tight range on Friday as investors exercised caution amid the negative performance across the region, said an analyst. At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) added 2.01 points, or 0.12%, to 1,555.25 from Thursday’s close of 1,553.24.  The benchmark index opened 2.17 points lower at 1,551.07 and moved between 1,547.96 and 1,555.97 throughout the trading session. On the broader market, decliners led gainers 563 to 482, with 493 counters unchanged, 782 untraded and nine others suspended. Turnover increased to 4.04 billion units worth RM2.68 billion compared with 3.36 billion units valued at RM2.68 billion on Thursday. Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd equity research vice president Thong Pak Leng said the regional markets were also impacted by the negative cue from Wall Street overnight as hawkish signals from the US Federal Reserve, especially ahead of key payrolls data, have spurred more uncertainty over US interest r...

KUALA LUMPUR (April 4): Bursa Malaysia rebounded strongly to end higher on Thursday, making a swift recovery of its losses from the previous session, supported by mostly upbeat regional markets, said an analyst. At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) surged 16.23 points, or 1.05%, to 1,553.24 from Wednesday’s close of 1,537.01.  The benchmark index, which opened 1.97 points better at 1,538.98, moved between 1,537.25 and 1,554.33 throughout the trading session.  On the broader market, gainers thumped decliners 656 to 352, with 475 counters unchanged, 835 untraded and nine others suspended. Turnover narrowed to 3.36 billion units valued at RM2.68 billion compared with 4.26 billion units worth RM2.87 billion on Wednesday. Apex Securities Bhd head of research Kenneth Leong said the improved market sentiment was mainly driven by the dovish stance from the US Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell on Wednesday night, while the stronger crude palm oil (CPO) pric...

KUALA LUMPUR (April 3): Bursa Malaysia drifted lower on Wednesday as the key index snapped a three-day winning streak, taking a cue from the negative developments on Wall Street overnight, said an analyst. At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) shed 10.98 points, or 0.7%, to 1,537.01 from Tuesday’s close of 1,547.99.  The benchmark index opened 0.7 of a point easier at 1,547.29 and moved between 1,537.01 and 1,548.42 throughout the trading session. On the broader market, decliners beat gainers 593 to 480, with 487 counters unchanged, 734 untraded, and 13 others suspended. Turnover widened to 4.26 billion units worth RM2.87 billion compared with 4.15 billion units valued at RM2.81 billion on Tuesday. Apex Securities Bhd head of research Kenneth Leong said the weakness also came in due to profit-taking activities following the past sessions of gains as weakness was evident in the majority of the banking heavyweights. “Moving forward, we expect choppiness to prevail amid the ...

KUALA LUMPUR (April 2): Bursa Malaysia ended higher for a third consecutive day on Tuesday in tandem with the improving sentiment across the region, said an analyst. At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) gained 3.97 points, or 0.25%, to 1,547.99 from Monday’s close of 1,544.02.  The benchmark index, which opened 0.49 of a point lower at 1,543.53, moved between 1,540.77 and 1,550.99 throughout the trading session.   On the broader market, gainers beat losers at 583 to 506, with 446 counters unchanged, 748 untraded, and 13 others suspended. Turnover expanded to 4.15 billion units valued at RM2.81 billion from 3.16 billion units worth RM2.13 billion on Monday. Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd equity research vice president Thong Pak Leng said the key regional indices trended higher with Hong Kong stocks leading the gains due to strong buying on Xiaomi's shares after the consumer electronics company began taking orders for its newly launched electric vehicle. In the ...

KUALA LUMPUR (April 1): Bursa Malaysia closed higher on Monday as investors chased selected major energy, plantation and telecommunication stocks. At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) advanced 7.95 points, or 0.52 per cent to 1,544.02 from last Friday’s close of 1,536.07. The benchmark index opened 1.43 points higher at 1,537.50 and moved between 1,537.07 and 1,544.71 throughout the day.  On the broader market, gainers led decliners 565 to 451 with 442 counters unchanged, 815 untraded, and eight others suspended. Turnover expanded to 3.16 billion units worth RM2.13 billion from 3.06 billion units valued at RM2.59 billion on Friday. Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd equity research vice president Thong Pak Leng said the online equities brokerage is cautiously optimistic about the market given improving investor sentiment following positive economic data overseas. “ Nonetheless, investors are advised to stay alert on the increasing market volatility. We anticipate the FBM KL...