Kuala lumpur: Bursa Malaysia ended marginally lower on Monday as investors largely stayed on the sidelines, adopting a wait-and-see approach due to uncertainties surrounding US monetary policy and geopolitical developments, according to an analyst.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) eased 0.38 of a point to close at 1,735.37 compared to last Friday's close of 1,735.75. The index opened slightly higher at 1,735.85 and fluctuated between 1,730.35 and 1,738.97 throughout the trading day.

Despite the marginal decline in the index, the broader market saw gainers outpacing losers with 707 counters rising, 447 declining, 573 remaining unchanged, 1,046 untraded, and 21 suspended. The market turnover narrowed to 3.49 billion units valued at RM2.55 billion from 3.55 billion units valued at RM3.47 billion last Friday.

IPPFA Sdn Bhd director of investment strategy and country economist, Mohd Sedek Jantan, noted that investors were cautious despite improving expectations for a less restrictive US monetary policy, following weaker US labor market data. He highlighted the balanced nature of the session as investors weighed softer rate expectations against renewed pressure from higher crude oil prices and ongoing uncertainty surrounding the Strait of Hormuz.

Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice-president of equity research, Thong Pak Leng, stated that high crude oil prices and ongoing geopolitical uncertainties could contribute to near-term market volatility. However, resilient domestic economic conditions and continued buying of selected heavyweight stocks were expected to provide support for the benchmark index. He anticipated the FBM KLCI to trade with a mild upward bias within the 1,725-1,750 range this week.

Among the heavyweights, IHH Healthcare gained five sen to RM8.35, while Maybank and CIMB Group inched down by two sen to RM10.66 and RM7.92, respectively. Public Bank fell by one sen to RM5.18, and Tenaga Nasional remained unchanged at RM14.40.

In the active stocks category, Dagang NeXchange increased by three sen to 50 sen, NationGate Holdings rose 11 sen to RM1.54, and HHRG climbed by three sen to 15 sen. V.S. Industry saw a one sen increase to 25 sen, while Pegasus Heights stayed flat.

Malaysian Pacific Industries led the gainers list with a 72 sen rise to RM47.98, followed by Allianz Malaysia and Skyechip, which increased by 68 sen and 23 sen, respectively. Kobay Technology and Petronas Gas also saw gains.

Conversely, Nestle led the decliners, losing RM1.80 to RM99.60. Kuala Lumpur Kepong fell by RM1.06 to RM21.84, Dutch Lady Milk Industries slid 20 sen to RM31.80, and Petronas Chemicals Group decreased by 10 sen to RM4.40.

The broader indices showed mixed results with the FBM Emas Index rising by 34.22 points, the FBM Top 100 Index increasing by 23.66 points, and the FBM ACE Index surging by 76.37 points. The FBM Mid 70 Index advanced by 146.86 points, while the FBM Emas Shariah Index gained 52.27 points.

Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index added 2.93 points, and the Energy Index edged up 7.25 points. However, the Industrial Products and Services Index eased by 0.16 of a point, and the Plantation Index trimmed 20.59 points.

The Main Market volume decreased to 1.76 billion units valued at RM2.21 billion compared to last Friday. Warrants turnover slipped slightly, while the ACE Market volume expanded.

Consumer products and services counters accounted for a significant portion of the shares traded on the Main Market, along with industrial products and services, construction, technology, and other sectors.