Kuala lumpur: Bursa Malaysia opened on a positive note on Thursday, driven by optimism in regional markets and a rebound on Wall Street after the US Federal Reserve implemented a rate cut.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, at 9.10 am, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) increased by 1.17 points, or 0.07 percent, reaching 1,612.17, following an initial rise of 1.86 points at the opening at 1,612.86. The broader market sentiment showed positivity, with 186 gainers outpacing 101 decliners. A total of 270 counters remained unchanged, 2,201 were untraded, and 16 were suspended. The turnover was recorded at 149.02 million shares, valued at RM95.52 million.

Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice-president of equity research, Thong Pak Leng, noted that Wall Street strengthened after the Fed reduced its benchmark rate by 25 basis points. Thong also mentioned that sentiment improved after Fed chair Jerome Powell dismissed any immediate rate hikes due to a still-weak labor market. There is now hope for two to three more rate cuts in 2026, while the US 10-year Treasury yield has decreased to 4.155 percent.

In the local market, Thong stated that his firm anticipates the benchmark FBM KLCI to fluctuate between the 1,610-1,620 range throughout the day. Among the heavyweights, Maybank and CIMB Group each added two sen, Tenaga Nasional gained two sen, IHH Healthcare increased by one sen, while Public Bank remained unchanged.

On the most active list, BMS Holdings and Astro Malaysia each rose by half-a-sen, Wasco Greenergy, a Main Market debutant, eased by 2.5 sen, Velesto Energy gained half-a-sen, and Hartalega slipped by three sen.

Top gainers included Malaysian Pacific Industries, which rose by 42 sen, Petronas Chemicals increased by seven sen, Dufu Technology gained five sen, Vitrox added five sen, and Dialog advanced four sen. Meanwhile, among the top losers, Gamuda fell by 14 sen, Petronas Gas slipped by six sen, Mudajaya shed 5.5 sen, Sarawak Oil Palms eased by four sen, and Yinson declined by four sen.

On the index board, the FBM Emas Index rose by 12.64 points, the FBM Emas Shariah added 15.01 points, the FBMT 100 Index gained 12.56 points, the FBM ACE Index improved by 12.73 points, and the FBM 70 Index advanced by 36.10 points. Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index rose by 14.06 points, the Industrial Products and Services Index edged up by 0.55 of-a-point, and the Energy Index gained 2.37 points, while the Plantation Index eased by 3.52 points.