Kuala Lumpur: Bursa Malaysia ended the morning session lower, driven by profit-taking activities in most lower liners and selected blue-chip counters, particularly in the industrial products and services sectors.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) saw a decline of 1.53 points, settling at 1,516.59 compared to the previous day's close at 1,518.12. The index, which opened at 1,516.91, fluctuated between 1,513.39 and 1,517.59 throughout the morning.
The broader market experienced a negative trend, with 492 counters declining against 226 gainers, while 415 counters remained unchanged. A total of 1,213 counters were untraded and 20 suspended. Trading turnover reached 1.13 billion units, valued at RM730.54 million.
Maybank Investment Bank noted that market participants are closely watching the upcoming US Nonfarm Payrolls report, which could influence market sentiment amidst ongoing tariff concerns. The bank expects the benchmark index to hover between 1,510-1,530 points, with a support range from 1,500 to 1,440 points.
Among the heavyweights, Petronas Chemicals dropped 9.0 sen to RM3.27, Petronas Dagangan decreased by 24 sen to RM20.90, CelcomDigi fell 4.0 sen to RM3.83, Press Metal Aluminium dipped 5.0 sen to RM4.98, and CIMB declined 4.0 sen to RM6.83.
In terms of active stocks, Tanco increased by 1.0 sen to RM1.01, while MYEG, Reservoir Link Energy, and KPJ remained stagnant at 93 sen, 35.5 sen, and RM2.78, respectively. Signature Alliance Group advanced by 1.0 sen to 71 sen.
On the index board, the FBM Emas Index fell by 11.15 points to 11,351.68, the FBMT 100 Index decreased by 6.66 points to 11,121.70, and the FBM ACE Index dropped by 28.73 points to 4,489.41. The FBM Emas Shariah Index lost 20.12 points, ending at 11,320.62, while the FBM 70 Index rose by 8.36 points to 16,291.67.
Sector-wise performance showed the Financial Services Index down by 21.75 points to 17,717.82, the Industrial Products and Services Index losing 1.27 points at 150.85, whereas gains were observed in the Energy Index, which increased by 7.90 points to 716.51, and the Plantation Index, which grew by 14.46 points to 7,233.84.