Kuala lumpur: Bursa Malaysia stayed higher at midday on continued buying activities in selected financial services and plantation counters. Maybank gained 16 sen to RM11.24, Public Bank added two sen to RM4.70, and SD Guthrie rose 10 sen to RM6.30. These counters lifted the composite index by a combined 5.28 points. At 12.30 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) increased 8.82 points, or 0.51 per cent, to 1,730.84 from Thursday's close of 1,722.02. The benchmark index, which opened 6.72 points firmer at 1,728.74, moved between 1,725.01 and 1,735.14 during the morning session.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, market breadth was positive, with gainers leading losers 588 to 448. A total of 549 counters were unchanged, 1,036 untraded, and 24 suspended. Turnover stood at 1.74 billion units valued at RM1.18 billion. In a note, Malacca Securities Sdn Bhd said the local market is expected to track the robust artificial intelligence-related firms' earnings in the United States. The brokerage added that the persistent conflict in West Asia should continue to favour energy and glove counters.
Meanwhile, Hong Leong Investment Bank Bhd noted that lingering US-Iran tensions, elevated oil prices, the ongoing blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, and an increasingly hawkish global policy backdrop would continue to cap risk appetite. Over the weekend, US President Donald Trump said he would review Iran's latest peace proposal but stopped short of ruling out renewed strikes on Tehran's military targets should the regime 'misbehave,' as the conflict entered its ninth week, fuelling a global energy shock and widespread supply chain disruptions. The bank stated that the KLCI is likely to remain volatile and headline-driven in May.
Among the heavyweights, Tenaga Nasional jumped 14 sen to RM14.68 and CIMB added three sen to RM7.69, while IHH Healthcare fell three sen to RM8.79 and Press Metal slipped four sen to RM8.59. On the most active list, Zetrix AI increased 4.5 sen to 86.5 sen, GIIB inched up five sen to 16 sen, and Malaysian Resources Corporation improved two sen to 36.5 sen. However, Econpile shed half a sen to 14 sen. Among the top gainers, Malaysian Pacific Industries surged RM1.36 to RM37.98, Vitrox grew 29 sen to RM5.74, and UWC climbed 28 sen to RM5.15, while Dutch Lady and Hong Leong Industries strengthened 26 sen each to RM32.88 and RM17.58, respectively.
Among the top losers, Nestle decreased RM3.30 to RM105.10, Fraser and Neave erased RM1.30 to RM30.0, United Plantations reduced RM1.02 to RM30.72 and Petronas Chemicals dropped 27 sen to RM5.65. On the index board, the FBM Emas Index advanced 71.21 points to 12,794.95, the FBM Top 100 Index perked 72.90 points to 12,633.73, the FBM Emas Shariah Index racked up 51.34 points to 12,769.70, the FBM Mid 70 Index jumped 141.93 points to 18,227.90, and the FBM ACE Index rose 16.24 points to 4,634.35.
By sector, the Energy Index gave up 6.66 points to 834.01, the Financial Services Index increased 134.27 points to 20,019.30, the Industrial Products and Services Index eased 1.45 points to 194.86, and the Plantation Index garnered 29.41 points to 8,968.72. Trading in the securities of Rapid Synergy Bhd was suspended for an hour from 9 am today in relation to an announcement on April 30. In its filing with the exchange on Thursday last week, Rapid Synergy said its external auditors opined that the financial statements for the financial period ended Dec 31, 2025, give a true and fair view of its financial position except for the possible effects of the matters described in the basis for qualified opinion section of the audited financial statements for the said period. At lunch break, Rapid Synergy shares were unchanged at 78 sen, with 52,100 shares traded.