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KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 31): The FBM KLCI lost its footing on the last trading day of 2019. The benchmark index shed 26.91 points or 1.67% to end the year at its intraday low at 1,588.76, after US shares' overnight decline hit Asian market sentiment. For the year, the KLCI had declined 6.02% or 101.82 points, making it the third-largest percentage decliner among benchmark indices in Asia, after the Laos Securities Exchange Composite and Mongolia Stock Exchange Top 20. Asia's worst decliner Laos Securities Exchange Composite fell 12.95%, followed by the Mongolia Stock Exchange Top 20's 8.59% drop. Over the last 10 years, the KLCI had however gained 315.98 points or 24.83% from 1,272.78 on Dec 31, 2009. In Malaysia today, Areca Capital Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Danny Wong Teck Meng said weakness in the KLCI today was due to US shares' overnight decline, which affected sentiment across Asian stock markets today. Reuters reported Asian share...

KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 30): The FBM KLCI closed 5.06 points or 0.31% higher today, led by Tenaga Nasional Bhd and as Bursa Malaysia plantation shares rose with crude palm oil (CPO) prices. The ringgit strengthened against a weaker US dollar and as crude oil prices rose. At 5pm, the KLCI closed at 1,615.67, led by Tenaga shares' 28 sen or 2.11% gain at RM13.54. Meanwhile, plantation shares including KLCI components Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd (KLK) and Sime Darby Plantation Bhd, finished up as CPO prices stayed above RM3,000 a tonne. KLK finished up 30 sen or 1.21% at RM25.10, while Sime Darby Plantation was up 10 sen or 1.83% at RM5.56.   Bloomberg reported CPO advanced to trade near its highest in almost three years, with firmer petroleum and soyoil underpinning the market. At Bursa, palm oil for March 2020 was traded up 0.4% at RM3,084 a tonne at 3:08pm, Bloomberg said. On the KLCI at 5pm, Public Investment Bank Bhd technical analyst Lee Siao Ping told thee...

KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 23): The FBM KLCI rose to close four points or 0.25% higher on Monday amid thin volumes, buoyed mainly by foreign buying of stocks as part of year-end window-dressing activities. The benchmark index finished well above its 1,600 psychological level at 1,614.18 at 5pm today, despite retreating from Friday's sharp gains earlier in the day to touch a low of 1,601.23. Hong Leong Bank Bhd led component stocks with a 2.09% gain, followed by MISC Bhd at 1.91% and Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd at 1.84%. Meanwhile, decliners included IOI Corp Bhd and PPB Group Bhd, which closed down 4.56% and 0.7% respectively. Market breadth was positive with more gainers than losers at 432 versus 424 at the end of today's trading session. Total turnover stood at 1.96 billion shares worth RM1.45 billion, versus 2.17 billion shares, worth RM2.39 billion, traded last Friday.   The counters with most shares traded today were oil and gas stocks, namely Bumi...