KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia closed at its intraday high on Tuesday, buoyed by bargain hunting in selected heavyweight counters, particularly utility and plantation stocks. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) surged 11.48 points, or 0.72 per cent, to 1,606.96, compared to Monday’s close of 1,595.48. The benchmark index began the day 3.84 points higher at 1,599.32, hitting its lowest point at 1,594.07 before ascending to the day’s peak.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, UOB Kay Hian Wealth Advisors’ head of investment research, Mohd Sedek Jantan, highlighted that the FBM KLCI was bolstered by gains in utility stocks and oil and gas counters, fueled by improved industry conditions and heightened demand. He noted the positive sentiment from Wall Street, especially in the technology sector, following US export restrictions on 140 Chinese companies, further supporting the market. The data centre sector, along with Bursa Malaysia’s utilities, construction, and technology indices, emerged as top perfor
mers.
Mohd Sedek Jantan further explained that the data centre sector is progressing as planned, according to third-quarter company reports, and is expected to positively impact other sectors beyond technology. He also pointed out the trading volume reaching 3.3 billion shares, demonstrating active market participation and strong investor confidence in Bursa Malaysia. This level of activity indicates significant interest from both retail and institutional investors, suggesting optimism and liquidity as investors position themselves for potential gains in high-growth sectors.
Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd’s equity research vice-president, Thong Pak Leng, expressed cautious optimism, noting that while the FBM KLCI surpassed the 1,600 mark, uncertainty surrounds foreign trading strategies. He indicated that if the FBM KLCI sustains levels above 1,600 for an extended period, the mid-term outlook for the index appears positive. However, he expects the benchmark index to fluctuate within the 1,590-1,610 range for the rem
ainder of the week.
Among the heavyweights, Maybank rose 10 sen to RM10.18, Public Bank increased by four sen to RM4.51, and IHH added two sen to RM7.22. CIMB remained flat at RM8.21, while Tenaga Nasional dropped 10 sen to RM13.38. In terms of active stocks, Sapura Energy fell one sen to three sen, Velesto Energy was unchanged at 15.5 sen, and JCY International rose 4.5 sen to 48.5 sen. Genetec Technology gained two sen to RM1.25, and MYEG increased by 1.5 sen to 90 sen.
On the index board, the FBM Emas Index expanded by 84.18 points to 12,232.21, the FBMT 100 Index climbed 82.90 points to 11,920.99, and the FBM 70 Index increased by 116.97 points to 18,018.42. The FBM Emas Shariah Index advanced 89.75 points to 12,200.03, while the FBM ACE Index surged 66.97 points to 5,189.64.
Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index rose 44.58 points to 19,091.20, and the Plantation Index jumped 63.45 points to 7,735.01. The Industrial Products and Services Index increased by 1.25 points to 174.82, but the Energy Inde
x fell 7.06 points to 801.55. The Main Market volume rose to 1.94 billion units valued at RM3.06 billion, compared to Monday’s 1.55 billion units valued at RM2.16 billion.
Warrant turnover improved to 955.66 million units valued at RM92.25 million from 886 million units valued at RM80.89 million. The ACE Market volume expanded to 422.23 million units worth RM153.55 million, up from 395.42 million units worth RM127.40 million yesterday.
Consumer products and services counters accounted for 270.53 million shares traded on the Main Market, followed by industrial products and services (318.69 million), construction (109.67 million), technology (356.83 million), financial services (121.92 million), property (222.37 million), plantation (48.13 million), REITs (15.57 million), energy (250.48 million), healthcare (71.12 million), telecommunications and media (34.28 million), transportation and logistics (24.71 million), utilities (3101.14 million), and business trusts (70,000).