Kuala lumpur: Bursa Malaysia opened slightly lower on Thursday as investors exercised caution ahead of the announcement of the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) and following signals from the United States Federal Reserve (Fed) indicating a prolonged pause in interest rate cuts.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) eased 2.30 points, or 0.15 percent, to 1,522.20 from the previous close of 1,524.50. The benchmark index had initially opened 0.51 of a point higher at 1,523.99. Market breadth was marginally positive, with 162 gainers surpassing 130 decliners. A total of 277 counters remained unchanged, with 1,926 untraded and 53 suspended. Turnover stood at 198.38 million shares, valued at RM78.92 million.
Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd's vice-president of equity research, Thong Pak Leng, noted that investors were anticipating the 13MP announcement, although its immediate market impact might be limited due to its focus on long-term fiscal reforms. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is scheduled to present the five-year development blueprint in the Dewan Rakyat today, which will chart the nation's economic direction from 2026 to 2030.
Thong further commented on the influence of Wall Street's mixed overnight performance, following the Fed's decision to maintain the current interest rates as it assesses the impact of US tariffs. He stated, "The FBM KLCI remained lacklustre, moving within a narrow range before ending marginally higher. With no clear catalysts, we expect the index to trend between the 1,520 and 1,530 range today."
In terms of specific stocks, among the heavyweights, Maybank rose three sen to RM9.48, and IHH Healthcare gained seven sen to RM6.70. Public Bank decreased by six sen to RM4.23, Tenaga Nasional fell by four sen to RM13.24, and CIMB eased by two sen to RM6.53.
On the actively traded list, Pharmaniaga slipped half a sen to 15.5 sen, Pestec International fell 1.5 sen to 13.5 sen, while TWL remained unchanged at 2.5 sen. Zetrix AI added two sen to 86.5 sen, and Northeast Group advanced five sen to 69 sen. Top gainers included PPB, climbing 11 sen to RM9.42, with Dutch Lady Milk Industries and ITMax System rising 10 sen each to RM27.30 and RM4.05, respectively.
Among the top losers, Nestle declined 10 sen to RM87.30, Bursa Malaysia eased six sen to RM4.23, and MMM Group dropped 4.5 sen to 1.5 sen. On the broader market, the FBM Emas Index shed 7.20 points to 11,428.33, while the FBMT 100 Index slipped 8.23 points to 11,190.47. The FBM Emas Shariah Index rose 11.09 points to 11,485.11. The FBM 70 Index gained 25.87 points to 16,515.57, and the FBM ACE Index edged up 5.74 points to 4,599.62.
By sector, the Financial Services Index fell 56.71 points to 17,241.02, the Industrial Products and Services Index eased 0.12 of a point to 160.77, and the Plantation Index was down 1.93 points at 7,405.58. The Energy Index climbed 4.11 points to 747.82.