KUALA LUMPUR, March 18 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia ended higher today, in line with upbeat regional market performance and supported by the strong debut of Sunway Healthcare. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 18.82 points or 1.10 per cent to 1,729.81 from yesterday’s close of 1,710.99. The market bellwether opened 2.98 points higher at 1,713.97, and fluctuated between 1,713.42 and 1,730.72 throughout the day. Market breadth was positive with gainers outpacing losers 657 to 480. A total of 528 counters were unchanged, 1,069 untraded, and 11 suspended. Turnover expanded to 3.33 billion units worth RM4.27 billion from yesterday’s 2.82 billion units worth RM2.76 billion.
KUALA LUMPUR, March 18 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia ended higher today, in line with upbeat regional market performance and supported by the strong debut of Sunway Healthcare.
At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 18.82 points or 1.10 per cent to 1,729.81 from yesterday’s close of 1,710.99.
The market bellwether opened 2.98 points higher at 1,713.97, and fluctuated between 1,713.42 and 1,730.72 throughout the day.
Market breadth was positive with gainers outpacing losers 657 to 480. A total of 528 counters were unchanged, 1,069 untraded, and 11 suspended.
Turnover expanded to 3.33 billion units worth RM4.27 billion from yesterday’s 2.82 billion units worth RM2.76 billion.
Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice-president of equity research Thong Pak Leng said regional markets ended higher today following positive leads from Wall Street overnight.
“The rally was largely fuelled by strength in technology and semiconductor stocks, driven by optimistic artificial Intelligence demand projections from Nvidia and SK Hynix, which helped offset concerns over elevated energy costs.
“Although market sentiment is positive, volatility is expected to persist in the near term as investors await the US Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision tonight,” he told Bernama.
Back home, he said the benchmark index remains in a constructive uptrend, with buying interest primarily seen in healthcare, oil and gas, and banking sectors.
“Markets are likely to remain reactive to global headlines, with the FBM KLCI anticipated to move within the 1,710-1,735 range into the weekend,” he added.
Meanwhile, IPPFA Sdn Bhd director of investment strategy and country economist Mohd Sedek Jantan said the FBM KLCI extended its rebound for a second consecutive session, supported by improved sentiment and in line with the broader risk-on tone.
“Among index components, healthcare stocks led gains, with select names rising more than five per cent, driven by spillover investor interest following the listing of a new healthcare stock, which lifted sentiment across the sector,” he said.
Among heavyweights, Maybank added 14 sen to RM11.74, Public Bank put on 7.0 sen to RM4.93, CIMB perked up 9.0 sen to RM7.95, Tenaga Nasional was 4.0 sen firmer at RM14.24, and IHH Healthcare jumped 46 sen to RM9.39.
On the most active list, Main Market debutant Sunway Healthcare surged 40 sen to RM1.85, Zetrix AI inched up half-a-sen to 79 sen, Tanco climbed 4.0 sen to RM1.40, AirAsia X went up 10 sen to RM1.30, while Malaysian Resources Corporation inched down half-a-sen to 28.5 sen.
Top gainers included Malaysian Pacific Industries which rose 48 sen to RM30.20, Fraser & Neave gained 38 sen to RM31.80, Hong Leong Bank garnered 40 sen to RM23.20, Petronas Gas added 32 sen to RM17.92, and Sunway Bhd increased 25 sen to RM5.48.
As for the top losers, PPB Group fell 36 sen to RM11.04, Allianz Malaysia was 34 sen lower at RM21.22, Apollo Food slid 23 sen to RM5.49, FCW sank 19 sen to RM1.61, and Petron Malaysia Refining & Marketing lost 17 sen to RM4.63.
On the index board, the FBM Top 100 Index jumped 133.0 points to 12,462.18, the FBM Emas Index advanced 128.81 points to 12,614.77, the FBM 70 Index surged 172.76 points to 17,280.37, the FBM Emas Shariah Index increased 101.02 points to 12,287.01, and the FBM ACE Index gained 35.86 points to 4,449.78.
By sector, the Financial Services Index soared 255.48 points to 20,893.02, the Industrial Products and Services Index edged up 2.16 points to 180.61, the Energy Index slipped 6.22 points to 783.75, and the Plantation Index climbed 30.03 points to 8,598.51.
The Main Market volume expanded to 2.21 billion units valued at RM4.05 billion from 1.70 billion units valued at RM2.56 billion on Tuesday.
Warrants turnover swelled to 807.81 million units worth RM98.88 million from 775.62 million units worth RM97.58 million yesterday.
The ACE Market volume declined to 304.66 million units valued at RM124.84 million from 343.14 million units valued at RM110.37 million previously.
Consumer products and services counters accounted for 278.40 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products and services (344.65 million), construction (158.22 million), technology (145.48 million), financial services (85.16 million), property (168.16 million), plantation (29.71 million), real estate investment trusts (21.59 million), closed-end fund (119,200), energy (155.93 million), healthcare (709.13 million), telecommunications and media (39.67 million), transportation and logistics (36.40 million), utilities (38.94 million), and business trusts (595,300).
Source: Bernama
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