Kuala Lumpur: Bursa Malaysia experienced a mixed trading session at midday, influenced by the broadly positive cues from Wall Street's recent performance. The changes follow the easing uncertainties around the United States-China trade war, instigated by US President Donald Trump's less confrontational approach.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) showed a rise of 9.53 points, or 0.63 percent, bringing it to 1,518.73 from the previous close of 1,509.20. The index opened with an increase of 2.63 points at 1,511.83 and fluctuated between 1,511.48 and 1,520.08 during the morning trading session.
The broader market saw decliners outnumber gainers at 430 to 400, with 391 counters unchanged, 1,246 untraded, and 58 suspended. The turnover recorded stood at 1.58 billion shares worth RM825.04 million.
Malacca Securities Sdn Bhd commented that market participants are likely to factor in the recent trade war developments, potentially offering an upside for US equities. The firm noted that with the FBM KLCI surpassing the 1,500 psychological mark last Friday, buying momentum might continue in the short term. Stocks with cybersecurity capabilities might also gain traction due to rising cyber threats and their lesser involvement in the trade tariff regime.
Bursa Malaysia Bhd, in collaboration with the Securities Commission Malaysia, stated that the losses from unauthorized access and trading activities on April 24, 2025, have been contained. The exchange affirmed that the incidents affected a limited number of brokers' online client trading accounts and confirmed that measures are in place to prevent future occurrences.
Among the heavyweights, Maybank increased by 11 sen to RM9.98 and Public Bank gained six sen to RM4.42. Tenaga Nasional, CIMB, and CelcomDigi each rose by two sen to RM13.58, RM7.01, and RM3.77, respectively.
In terms of active stocks, SNS Network went up by two sen to 45.5 sen, while Tanco and Top Glove each increased by one sen to 87 sen and 88 sen, respectively. Nationgate decreased by two sen to RM1.28, and CTOS fell three sen to RM1.02.
On the broader indices, the FBM Emas Index advanced by 62.31 points to 11,282.15, the FBMT 100 Index rose by 64.46 points to 11,054.38, the FBM Emas Shariah Index increased by 39.04 points to 11,123.30, and the FBM 70 Index climbed by 72.92 points to 15,864.02. However, the FBM ACE Index saw a decrease of 11.65 points to 4,611.92.
In sectoral performance, the Industrial Products and Services Index was up by 0.68 points at 149.41, the Energy Index increased by 2.99 points to 677.67, and the Financial Services Index surged by 136.26 points to 18,127.45. Meanwhile, the Plantation Index fell by 16.61 points to 7,208.31.