Kuala lumpur: Bursa Malaysia remained higher at midday, surpassing the 1,560 level, in line with gains in regional markets as sentiment turned positive. At 12:30 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 5.39 points, or 0.35 percent, to 1,562.37 from last Friday’s close of 1,556.98.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the benchmark index opened 0.76 of a point higher at 1,557.74 and fluctuated between 1,554.95 and 1,563.43 throughout the session. Market breadth was positive with 452 gainers outpacing 431 losers, while another 461 counters were unchanged, 1,179 untraded, and nine suspended. Turnover stood at 1.49 billion units worth RM971.60 million.
Malacca Securities Sdn Bhd anticipated market sentiment to remain positive due to Apple’s US$100 billion investment pledge in the United States, potentially sparking trading opportunities within the US banking, construction, and technology sectors. The firm noted that traders would be monitoring key inflation data, such as the consumer price index and producer price index, this week.
The brokerage firm also expected buying interest to spill over into the local bourse following Wall Street’s positive lead last Friday. They highlighted Itmax System Bhd for its steady stream of project wins in Johor, with the potential to replicate success in Penang, and a strong recurring revenue base. Inari Amertron Bhd and Frontken Corporation Bhd remain in focus as key proxies to Apple’s manufacturing investment and the recent announcement of a potential 100 percent tariff on semiconductors by the US administration.
Among the heavyweights, Maybank rose 6.0 sen to RM9.67, Public Bank increased 2.0 sen to RM4.35, and CIMB went up 9.0 sen to RM6.95, while Tenaga Nasional eased 20 sen to RM13.60 and IHH Healthcare was 5.0 sen weaker at RM6.91. In active trade, Classita added 1.0 sen to 9.0 sen, Pharmaniaga inched up half-a-sen to 18.5 sen, Top Glove rose 2.0 sen to 61.5 sen, Zetrix AI increased by 1.5 sen to 89 sen, while NexG was 12.5 sen easier at 41 sen.
Across the broader market, the FBM Emas Index strengthened 45.47 points to 11,647.26, the FBMT 100 Index climbed 45.85 points to 11,425.76, the FBM Emas Shariah Index edged up 24.42 points to 11,658.60, the FBM ACE Index increased by 3.21 points to 4,610.09, and the FBM Mid 70 Index jumped 94.89 points to 16,600.42. By sector, the Financial Services Index advanced 119.77 points to 17,700.59, the Plantation Index expanded 54.56 points to 7,480.68, the Industrial Products and Services Index firmed by 1.37 points to 159.13, but the Energy Index ticked down 0.40 of a point to 736.32.