Kuala Lumpur: Bursa Malaysia maintained its momentum at midday, buoyed by buying interest in most heavyweights, particularly banking and construction counters, amid improving market sentiment, analysts said. At 12.30 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) advanced 0.84 percent or 12.77 points to 1,530.82, from Wednesday’s close of 1,518.05.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the benchmark index opened 4.97 points lower at 1,513.08 and moved between 1,512.81 and 1,531.40 throughout the morning trading session. Market breadth turned positive with gainers leading decliners 411 to 381, while 414 counters were unchanged, 1,263 untraded, and 160 suspended. Turnover stood at 1.64 billion shares worth RM1.09 billion.

Malacca Securities Sdn Bhd noted that traders may shift their focus to the oil and gas sector following the United States’ announcement of a 25 percent tariff on Venezuela’s trading partners and ongoing pressure on Iran. These geopolitical developments are anticipated to support near-term oil prices. The firm also expressed optimism about Aumas Resources Bhd, citing an expected rise in gold prices driven by uncertainties over US trade policies and weakening consumer sentiment in the US.

In the heavyweight category, Maybank climbed 18 sen to RM10.36, Tenaga Nasional advanced 22.0 sen to RM13.54, CIMB Group improved 9.0 sen to RM7.13, and IHH Healthcare added 10.0 sen to RM6.91, while Public Bank remained flat at RM4.47.

Among active stocks, Gamuda added 25.0 sen to RM4.26, Pos Malaysia climbed 6.5 sen to 26 sen, and Chemlite Innovation increased 1.0 sen to 24 sen, while MY EG Services dipped half-a-sen to 92 sen, and Bina Puri Holdings was unchanged at 33 sen.

On the index board, the FBM Emas Index surged 85.06 points to 11,462.39. The FBMT 100 Index jumped 91.10 points to 11,225.54, the FBM Emas Shariah Index climbed 80.26 points to 11,204.10, the FBM 70 Index advanced 123.20 points to 16,441.67, and the FBM ACE Index edged up 1.55 points to 4,733.38.

Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index surged 171.90 points to 18,653.97, the Industrial Products and Services Index improved 1.22 points to 154.28, and the Energy Index rose 1.75 points to 754.49. Meanwhile, the Plantation Index dropped 18.50 points to 7,435.69.