Kuala Lumpur: The FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) futures contract on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives is anticipated to trade within a range-bound pattern next week, aligning with the performance of the underlying cash market and reflecting improved sentiment.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd equity research vice-president Thong Pak Leng projects the FBM KLCI to fluctuate between 1,550 and 1,580 in the upcoming week. Thong noted that there might be an emergence of bargain hunting activities following the reduced trading volume during the recently concluded week, which was influenced by the festive season.

Reviewing the week just concluded, the January 2025 contract saw an increase of 1.5 points to 1,561.0, while the February 2025 contract experienced a decrease of 4.5 points to 1,557.0. Additionally, the March 2025 contract declined by 5.0 points to 1,539.5, and the June 2025 contract decreased by 3.0 points to 1,552.0.

The turnover for the week rose to 108,467 lots, up from 72,443 lots recorded the previous week. In contrast, open interest narrowed to 47,219 contracts compared to 70,293 contracts from the prior period.

On a Friday-to-Friday basis, the key index experienced a decline of 16.81 points, settling at 1,556.92 compared to 1,573.73 a week earlier.