Kuala lumpur: Bursa Malaysia ended the week on a strong note, reaching a nearly 15-month high, driven by improved domestic sentiment ahead of year-end portfolio flows. The benchmark index surpassed its previous peak of 1,660.09 recorded on September 27, 2024.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the market saw significant gains with the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rising 19.0 points, or 1.15 percent, to close at 1,665.90. This was an increase from Thursday's closing figure of 1,646.90. The index opened higher at 1,648.05 and fluctuated between 1,647.60 and 1,668.15 throughout the trading session.
The broader market exhibited positive momentum, with 627 gainers outpacing 461 decliners. Additionally, 568 counters remained unchanged, 1,122 were untraded, and 16 were suspended. The turnover saw an increase to 2.75 billion units worth RM3.08 billion, compared to 2.47 billion units worth RM2.29 billion on Thursday.
Mohd Sedek Jantan, director of investment strategy and country economist at IPPFA Sdn Bhd, noted a resurgence of buying interest in large-cap financials, supported by stable local rates and a firmer ringgit. This helped ease concerns over near-term funding costs. The banking sector led the gains, buoyed by expectations of resilient credit demand and stable margins, contributing to an uplift in near-term earnings sentiment.
Malaysia's trade performance in November 2025 showed improvement, with total trade rising by 11.1 percent year-on-year to RM263.8 billion from RM237 billion. The Department of Statistics Malaysia reported a 7.0 percent year-on-year increase in exports to RM135.0 billion, driven by stronger external demand, while imports rose 15.8 percent to RM128.9 billion.
Among the market heavyweights, notable performers included Maybank, which added 14 sen to RM10.44, and Public Bank, which advanced 11 sen to RM4.52. CIMB Group rose 27 sen to RM8.15, Tenaga Nasional gained six sen to RM13.36, and IHH Healthcare increased by two sen to RM8.52.
In terms of active stocks, Pharmaniaga gained two sen to 28 sen, while Tanco and Borneo Oil remained flat at RM1.13 and half-a-sen, respectively. Zetrix AI declined by 1.5 sen to 80.5 sen, and V.S. Industry eased by half-a-sen to 49 sen.
Top gainers included Fraser and Neave, which advanced 72 sen to RM36.32, and Hong Leong Bank, which gained 56 sen to RM22.24. Petronas Gas increased by 42 sen to RM18.08, Nestle climbed 40 sen to RM116.30, and Petronas Dagangan rose by 32 sen to RM19.72.
Conversely, among the top losers, MBM Resources and Sunway Construction both slipped 13 sen to RM5.12 and RM5.53, respectively. YTL Power fell 12 sen to RM3.35, while Sancy and Master-Pack each eased nine sen to 29 sen and RM1.91, respectively.
On the index board, the FBM Emas Index increased by 115.59 points to 12,233.08, the FBM Top 100 Index jumped 121.09 points to 12,030.75, and the FBM ACE Index rose by 35.89 points to 4,814.88. The FBM Emas Shariah Index advanced by 48.46 points to 12,025.70, while the FBM 70 Index climbed 97.54 points to 16,813.19.
Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index surged 406.70 points to 19,561.75, the Plantation Index gained 56.25 points to 8,291.16, and the Energy Index added 4.11 points to 768.98. However, the Industrial Products and Services Index edged down by 0.52 points to 170.39.
The Main Market volume expanded to 1.66 billion units worth RM2.85 billion, up from 1.33 billion units worth RM2.06 billion on Thursday. Meanwhile, warrants turnover decreased to 794.27 million units worth RM99.54 million, compared to 850.13 million units worth RM107.87 million the previous day.
The ACE Market volume improved to 302.31 million units valued at RM128.77 million, up from 296.79 million units valued at RM120.85 million the day before. Consumer products and services counters accounted for 292.41 million shares traded on the Main Market, with industrial products and services at 316.16 million, and construction at 77.34 million.