Kuala lumpur: Bursa Malaysia concluded the trading day with a mixed performance as the benchmark index’s recent upward trend was interrupted by selling pressure on selected heavyweights, notably Tenaga Nasional, according to an analyst. The power utility company’s shares closed 58 sen or 3.97 per cent lower at RM14.02, contributing 5.80 points to the benchmark index’s overall decline, with 33.31 million shares traded.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, at 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) slipped by 1.22 points, or 0.08 per cent, to 1,548.99 from Wednesday’s close of 1,550.21. The benchmark index opened 4.07 points lower at 1,546.14 and fluctuated between 1,540.35 and 1,548.99 throughout the session.
The broader market showed a positive trend with 629 gainers surpassing 389 decliners, while 468 counters remained unchanged, 902 were untraded, and 11 were suspended. Turnover increased to 5.09 billion units worth RM2.94 billion compared to 3.11 billion units worth RM2.38 billion on Wednesday.
UOB Kay Hian Wealth Advisors Sdn Bhd’s head of investment research, Mohd Sedek Jantan, explained that the FBMKLCI closed lower as investors’ sentiment turned slightly cautious amid profit-taking activities, despite the broad-based strength in the wider market. He noted that the decline in the benchmark index reflected the mixed performance among blue-chip counters, affected by persistent export uncertainties and renewed external trade volatility.
In contrast, Mohd Sedek highlighted that broader segments of the domestic market exhibited notable resilience. The Bursa Malaysia Technology Index surged 4.0 per cent, driven by strong buying interest in semiconductor and electronics-related counters, aligning with tech-led gains on Wall Street. Additionally, the Industrial Products sector recorded gains, indicating selective sectoral rotation.
Among other heavyweights, Maybank increased by 4.0 sen to RM9.80, CIMB and CelcomDigi each added 1.0 sen to RM6.79 and RM3.92, respectively, and IHH Healthcare improved 2.0 sen to RM6.85, while Public Bank decreased by 2.0 sen to RM4.30. For the most active stocks, Borneo Oil remained flat at half-a-sen, whereas Zetrix AI, NEXG, and Tanco each gained 1.0 sen to 97.5 sen, 39 sen, and 90 sen, respectively.