Kuala lumpur: Bursa Malaysia maintained its positive momentum at midday, buoyed by continuous buying activities despite negative performance in the regional markets. At 12.30 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 1.49 points to 1,578.19 from yesterday's close of 1,576.70. The benchmark index opened 1.47 points lower at 1,575.23, moving between 1,573.95 and 1,582.34 during the morning session.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, in the broader market, gainers outpaced decliners 494 to 384, with 434 counters remaining unchanged, 1,246 untraded, and seven suspended. Turnover stood at 1.60 billion units worth RM1.29 billion. At the time of writing, Japan's Nikkei 225 Index shed 0.95 per cent to 41,904.62, Singapore's Straits Times Index weakened 0.26 per cent to 4,287.15, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index slipped 0.40 per cent to 25,395.16, and China's SSE Composite Index shed 0.96 per cent to 3,820.98. Meanwhile, Indonesia's IDX Composite Index rose 0.92 per cent to 7,872.73 and South Korea's Kospi Index increased 0.22 per cent to 3,179.36.
Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice-president of equity research Thong Pak Leng expressed confidence that the local bourse remains well supported by local institutions. 'We expect the index to trend in the 1,575-1,585 range today,' he told Bernama. Malacca Securities Sdn Bhd noted that the market may focus on sectors like banks and consumer, highlighting AMMB Holdings Bhd and 99 Speed Mart Retail Holdings Bhd, which has just announced its expansion into China. Additionally, solar-related counters such as Pekat Group Bhd and Northern Solar Holdings Bhd are in an uptrend supported by government initiatives like the National Energy Transition Roadmap.
Among heavyweight stocks, Petronas Gas inched up two sen to RM18.72, IHH Healthcare rose seven sen to RM6.87, CIMB Group remained flat at RM7.24, while Maybank and Public Bank decreased to RM10.00 and RM4.27, respectively. Actively traded stocks included Tanco Holdings, which grew 9.5 sen to 80 sen, and Velesto Energy, climbing one sen to 21.5 sen. On the index board, the FBM Emas Index climbed 31.60 points to 11,720.91, while sector-wise, the Industrial Products and Services Index and the Energy Index saw increases, whereas the Financial Services and Plantation Indices experienced declines.