KUALA LUMPUR, May 21 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia ended at its intraday low on Thursday as investor sentiment remained cautious amid ongoing foreign outflows, although the recent weakness may present bargain-hunting opportunities in fundamentally sound blue-chip counters. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) eased 9.33 points, or 0.54 per cent, to 1,708.36, from yesterday’s close of 1,717.69. The benchmark index, which opened 3.74 points higher at 1,721.43, hit an intraday high of 1,722.50 in early trade before losing momentum for the rest of the day. Market breadth was negative, with losers outpacing gainers 656 to 508, while 565 counters were unchanged, 989 untraded and 32 suspended. Turnover fell to 3.49 billion units worth RM3.70 billion compared with 4.15 billion units worth RM4.29 billion on Wednesday.
Market at a Glance
U.S. stocks closed mixed, with tech under pressure while financials advanced.
Bursa Malaysia fell for a third straight session.
Malaysia’s PPI dropped 2.9% YoY, dragged by mining weakness.
Maybank posted stronger earnings and declared a 33 sen dividend.
Wall Street Recap
Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.03% to 49,499.20
S&P 500 Index fell 0.54% to 6,908.86
Nasdaq Composite slid 1.18% to 22,878.38
Technology and communication services led losses, while financials gained 1.3%.
Major banks including JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Wells Fargo supported the sector’s rise.
Despite recent AI-related concerns, the software & services segment rebounded, with Salesforce jumping 4%.
Key Point: U.S. financial stocks outperformed as tech names faced renewed pressure.
Bursa Malaysia Snapshot
FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI closed at 1,740.94 (-0.39%)
Top Gainer: Sunway Berhad (+1.88%)
Top Loser: MR D.I.Y. Group (-4.35%)
USD/MYR: 3.8840
Malaysia’s Producer Price Index (PPI) fell 2.9% YoY in January, worsening from December’s 2.7% decline.
The drop was mainly due to:
Mining (-11.7%)
Crude petroleum (-11.8%)
Natural gas (-11.5%)
Agriculture (-8.3%)
Manufacturing (-1.7%)
However, utilities showed resilience:
Water supply (+10.2%)
Electricity & gas (+4.9%)
Key Point: Mining weakness continues to weigh on Malaysia’s upstream sector.
Stocks in Focus
Malayan Banking Berhad (Maybank)
Q4 net profit +5.7% YoY to RM2.68b
Net interest income +7.6%
FY2025 profit +4.2% to RM10.51b
Dividend: 33 sen per share
Key Point: Lower provisions and stronger lending boosted Maybank’s quarterly earnings.
Affin Bank Berhad
Q4 profit -6% YoY
FY2025 profit +6%
Final dividend: 8.53 sen
MBSB Bank Berhad
Q4 profit plunged 97.6%
Hit by large credit loss provisions
FY2025 profit -31%
Tenaga Nasional Berhad
Q4 profit more than doubled to RM1.68b
FY profit +19.8%
Final dividend: 28 sen
YTL Corporation Berhad
Q2 profit declined
Subsidiary YTL Power International saw earnings drop
Malayan Cement Berhad remained strong
Genting Berhad
FY2025 slipped into loss
Subsidiary Genting Malaysia Berhad returned to profit
Final dividend: 5 sen (Genting), 7 sen (GenM)
Press Metal Aluminium Holdings Berhad
Q4 profit +31.7% (record high)
FY2025 profit hit all-time high RM2.1b
Dividend: 2 sen
Axiata Group Berhad
Q4 losses narrowed
FY profit -60%
IJM Corporation Berhad
Q3 profit -86% due to forex losses
DRB-HICOM Berhad
Returned to profitability
Boosted by acquisition-related gains
Market Outlook
The divergence between strong banking earnings and continued macro softness suggests selective opportunities in financials, while commodity-linked sectors remain pressured.
Overall Theme: Financial stocks showing resilience while mining-linked sectors struggle.
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