Kuala lumpur: Bursa Malaysia opened marginally higher today, with value-seeking investors engaging in selective accumulation. At 9.06 am, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 0.63 of a point to 1,520.03, compared to yesterday's close of 1,519.40. The benchmark index started the day slightly higher at 1,519.48.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, turnover stood at 126.93 million shares, valued at RM68.23 million. Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd equity research vice-president Thong Pak Leng noted that the FBM KLCI had closed lower yesterday, aligning with the weak regional performance. However, he anticipated that value-seeking investors would continue to support the market through selective accumulation, expecting the benchmark index to consolidate within the 1,510-1,520 range today.
Thong also mentioned the global market scenario, where Wall Street closed mixed. The S and P 500 reached another record high at 6,309.62, increasing by 0.06 percent as investors processed a new batch of earnings, including a tariff warning from General Motors. The Dow increased by 0.4 percent, while the Nasdaq saw a slight decline of 0.39 percent ahead of key earnings reports from major tech companies.
Among the heavyweight counters, Maybank saw an increase of four sen to RM9.57, Tenaga Nasional improved by two sen to RM13.80, and CIMB rose by one sen to RM6.56. Public Bank, however, fell by three sen to RM4.28, while CelcomDigi and Press Metal remained flat at RM3.79 and RM5.21, respectively.
Active counters were led by NexG and Enproserve, both gaining 1.5 sen to 52 sen and 28 sen, respectively. PRG advanced by half-a-sen to 9.5 sen, Eco-Shop added one sen to RM1.32, while EA Holdings decreased by half-a-sen to half-a-sen.
On the broader index board, the FBM Emas Index increased by 13.04 points to 11,432.77, the FBMT 100 Index rose by 10.54 points to 11,192.48, and the FBM Emas Shariah Index climbed 7.64 points to 11,454.99. The FBM 70 Index gained 41.42 points to 16,597.29, while the FBM ACE Index slightly decreased by 7.19 points to 4,617.41.
By sector, the Financial Services Index added 36.2 points to 17,346.87, the Energy Index edged down by 0.46 of a point to 739.71, while the Plantation Index improved by 12.40 points to 7,408.55. The Industrial Products and Services Index saw a minor rise of 0.11 of a point to 154.15.