Kuala lumpur: Bursa Malaysia's benchmark index closed at a fresh six-year high today, driven by continued buying interest in heavyweight and plantation stocks, aligning with stronger regional market performances. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose by 8.90 points, or 0.53 percent, to 1,695.44 from the previous close of 1,686.54, surpassing the previous peak of 1,693.99 recorded on March 4, 2019.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the market opened slightly higher at 1,687.07 and maintained its momentum, trading within the range of 1,686.57 to 1,697.78 throughout the session. The market breadth was positive, with 641 gainers and 467 losers, while 534 counters remained unchanged, 1,008 were untraded, and 55 were suspended. Turnover increased to 3.09 billion units worth RM2.72 billion, compared to 2.83 billion units worth RM2.75 billion last Friday.
IPPFA Sdn Bhd director of investment strategy and country economist Mohd Sedek Jantan noted that the FBM KLCI has surpassed its pre-pandemic levels, signaling a full recovery from the COVID-19 impact. He highlighted that the index, along with the FBM Mid 70 and FBM Small Cap Index, continued its upward trend amid improved regional risk appetite and strong domestic economic data. The upcoming release of the fourth-quarter 2025 gross domestic product estimate is expected to show a growth of about five percent, contributing to a full-year expansion of approximately 4.8 percent.
Meanwhile, Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice-president of equity research Thong Pak Leng commented on the positive performance of key regional indices, led by gains in China's artificial intelligence-related stocks and stronger local currencies against the US dollar. He anticipated that the FBM KLCI index would edge closer to the 1,700 level, suggesting a trading range of 1,680-1,700 for the week.
Among heavyweights, Maybank increased by eight sen to RM10.94, Public Bank by one sen to RM4.59, CIMB by six sen to RM8.21, Tenaga Nasional by four sen to RM13.60, and IHH Healthcare by two sen to RM8.55. On the most active list, Zetrix AI and Capital A rose by 1.5 sen each, while Ingenieur gained one sen. MMAG decreased by half-a-sen, and Tanco dropped four sen.
Top gainers included United Plantations, which jumped RM1.68 to RM35.00, Fraser and Neave, which advanced 66 sen to RM36.66, Petronas Dagangan, which increased 50 sen to RM20.68, Hong Leong Financial Group, which climbed 34 sen to RM20.08, and Dutch Lady, which gained 30 sen to RM31.24. Among top decliners, Nestle fell RM1.0 to RM120, Malaysian Pacific Industries slipped 32 sen to RM32.98, Far East Holdings lost 30 sen to RM4.10, BLD Plantation dipped 20 sen to RM15.60, and Vitrox shed 14 sen to RM4.55.