Kuala lumpur: Bursa Malaysia ended the day with marginal gains, closely following the positive trajectory of regional markets as bargain-hunting activity persisted across the broader market. The FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) saw a slight increase of 0.09 points, closing at 1,611.55, up from the previous day's close of 1,611.46.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the benchmark index opened higher at 1,615.07 and fluctuated between 1,611.12 and 1,619.58 throughout the trading session. The broader market displayed a positive trend with 726 decliners surpassing 426 gainers, while 472 counters remained unchanged, 1,048 were untraded, and eight were suspended. The trading volume rose to 4.26 billion units worth RM3.71 billion, compared to the previous day's 3.66 billion units valued at RM3.78 billion.
Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd's vice-president of equity research, Thong Pak Leng, noted that the local market's positive closure was in line with regional markets, driven by bargain-hunting following recent losses. Thong highlighted that the FBM KLCI remained in positive territory, influenced by remarks from US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and President Donald Trump's comments about a 'fair relationship' with China, which eased trade tension concerns. He observed that buying interest was primarily focused on small and mid-cap stocks, indicating increased activity in the broader market.
Mohd Sedek Jantan, director of investment strategy at IPPFA Sdn Bhd, commented on the market's favorable reaction to Budget 2026, as observed by the broad-based performance across indices. He anticipates wider sectoral participation as market sentiment stabilizes, with investor caution largely driven by short-term external uncertainties rather than domestic fundamentals.
In terms of specific stock movements, IHH Healthcare gained two sen to RM8.07, while CIMB Group and Public Bank each shed one sen, closing at RM7.34 and RM4.20, respectively. Tenaga Nasional dipped two sen to RM13.18, while Maybank remained unchanged at RM9.92.
The most actively traded stocks included Velesto Energy, which rose one sen to 26.5 sen, and Genting Malaysia, which increased by two sen to RM2.34. Other notable gainers were Dagang NeXchange, Tanco Holdings, and Zetrix AI.
Top gainers included Nestle, which climbed 60 sen to RM102.70, while Genting Bhd, Petronas Dagangan, Spritzer, and Lim Seong Hai Capital also saw significant increases. Among the decliners, United Plantations and Malaysian Pacific Industries each fell by 20 sen, with other notable losses observed in Unisem, PPB Group, and Uchi Technologies.
The FBM Emas Index rose by 30.21 points to 12,067.24, while the FBMT 100 Index increased by 21.78 points to 11,789.86. Other indices, including the FBM Emas Shariah, FBM 70, and FBM ACE, also recorded gains. Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index, Industrial Products and Services Index, Energy Index, and Plantation Index showed positive movement.
The Main Market volume saw a slight decrease to 2.27 billion units valued at RM3.32 billion. In contrast, warrants turnover increased significantly, with 1.45 billion units worth RM185.30 million traded. The ACE Market volume slightly declined, with consumer products and services leading the traded shares on the Main Market.