Kuala lumpur: Bursa Malaysia ended the trading session on a positive note, buoyed by renewed buying interest in banking and plantation sectors. The FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) increased by 4.48 points, or 0.27 percent, settling at 1,683.53, up from the previous close of 1,679.05.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the benchmark index opened higher at 1,682.40 and fluctuated between 1,678.37 and 1,685.49 during the session. Despite the gains, market breadth was negative, with 620 decliners outnumbering 403 advancers, while 545 counters remained unchanged, 1,082 were untraded, and 10 were suspended.
Trading volume saw a decrease, with turnover dropping to 2.68 billion units valued at RM1.69 billion, compared to 2.79 billion units valued at RM1.93 billion last Friday. Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd's vice-president of equity research, Thong Pak Leng, noted a slight improvement in domestic sentiment due to the easing of geopolitical tensions and a decline in crude oil prices, which could potentially ease inflationary pressures and support the economic outlook.
Thong Pak Leng further mentioned that the recent rebound indicates sustained bargain-hunting interest, particularly in fundamentally sound blue-chip stocks. Among the heavyweights, Maybank rose 14 sen to RM10.94, Public Bank and Tenaga Nasional each gained two sen to RM4.91 and RM14.30, respectively, while CIMB Group increased by one sen to RM7.61. IHH Healthcare and SD Guthrie also saw notable gains.
On the most actively traded list, HHRG, ECKEM Holdings, and Tanco experienced slight upticks, while Silver Ridge and Zetrix AI recorded declines. In terms of top gainers, United Plantations, Petronas Dagangan, and Bintulu Port achieved significant appreciation, whereas Malaysian Pacific Industries, Batu Kawan, and Nestle were among the top decliners.
Sector performance varied, with the Financial Services Index advancing 102.45 points to 19,934.42 and the Plantation Index improving by 38.25 points to 9,007.79. Meanwhile, the Industrial Products and Services Index saw a minor decline.
The Main Market volume narrowed, while warrants turnover expanded. The ACE Market volume experienced a decrease. Consumer products and services, industrial products and services, construction, and technology sectors accounted for a substantial portion of shares traded on the Main Market. Other sectors, including financial services, property, and plantation, also saw notable activity.