Bursa malaysia: Bursa Malaysia opened higher today despite a lower Wall Street overnight performance. At 9.10 am, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) edged up 2.13 points to 1,750.39, after opening 1.84 points lower at 1,746.42, compared with yesterday's close of 1,748.26.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, on the broader market, both gainers and losers were flat at 168, while 304 counters were unchanged. A total of 1,995 counters were untraded, and six were suspended. Market turnover stood at 156.18 million shares valued at RM88.01 million.
Malacca Securities Sdn Bhd commented on the situation, noting that given Wall Street's lackluster overnight performance, expectations are that the FBM KLCI might follow suit. However, the company pointed out that a favorable United States-Malaysia interest rate differential and positive foreign inflows should support the ringgit, benefiting the banking and consumer segments.
The securities firm highlighted that Public Bank Bhd, which has lagged behind other banking stocks, offers exposure to these segments. It also noted that 99 Speed Mart Retail Holdings Bhd and Life Water Bhd could be proxies for the Visit Malaysia 2026 theme amid an anticipated lower input-cost environment. Additionally, it remarked on Sabah's strategic role as a tourism destination, with Life Water's forward price-to-earnings ratio remaining discounted relative to Spritzer Bhd, indicating potential for near-term upside.
Among the heavyweight counters, CIMB added 6.0 sen to RM8.62, Tenaga Nasional gained 4.0 sen to RM14.16, IHH Healthcare edged up 2.0 sen to RM8.90, while Maybank and Public Bank remained flat at RM11.94 and RM4.95, respectively.
The most active list showed Pharmaniaga inching up half-a-sen to 33 sen, while MLABS Systems decreased 1.5 sen to 3.0 sen. TWL Holdings was half-a-sen lower at 2.0 sen, while Malaysian Resources Corporation and Pegasus Heights remained flat at 34 sen and half-a-sen respectively.
United Plantations, GuocoLand (Malaysia), and Malayan Cement were among the top gainers, while Petronas Gas, Petronas Dagangan, and UWC led the decliners. The index board showed mixed results with gains in the FBM Top 100 Index and FBM Emas Index, while the FBM Emas Shariah Index and FBM ACE Index recorded declines.
Sector-wise, improvements were seen in the Financial Services Index, Industrial Products and Services Index, Plantation Index, and Energy Index, reflecting a mixed yet optimistic outlook for the market.