UPDATED
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 6 — Share prices on Bursa Malaysia ended higher today on the buying of key heavyweights like Maybank and Bumiputra-Commerce although the gains were capped by losses in other counters like Sime Darby and British American Tobacco (BAT), dealers said.
At the close, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Composite Index rose 4.48 points to 1,183.97 after opening 0.41 of a point lower at 1,179.49 in the morning.
SJ Securities analyst Phua Kwee Hock said although the market maintained its firm footing, investors may turn cautious tomorrow ahead of the US employment data which is due to be released tomorrow.
“Currently, the concern is that consumer spending in the United States is not really picking up. Consumers there are still worried about the uncertain unemployment and personal savings have gone up on fears of losing jobs,” he said.
Although Phua sees the market touching the 1,205-point level in the long term, he expects it to hover around the 1,175-point level in the near future.
“If the market breaks the 1,175-point level, it may stage a small correction and touch 1,154,” he said.
According to Phua, the local market is healthy at the moment and introduction of the 1Malaysia fund will have a big impact on equities towards end of September this year.
At the close, the Finance Index went up 93.68 points to 9,708.4, the Plantation Index increased 13.51 points to 5,773.52, the Industrial Index rose 7.57 points to 2,610.91 and the FBMEmas Index advanced 55.42 points to 8,204.84.
The FBM Top 100 added 43.16 points to 7,789.05 and the FBM ACE Index was 13.79 points higher at 4,208.92.
Advancers outnumbered decliners by 524 to 186 while 203 counters were unchanged and 314 untraded.
Total turnover rose to 1.025 billion shares worth RM1.541 billion from 923.999 million shares worth RM1.620 billion yesterday.
Leading the actives, KNM Group gained 1.5 sen to 85.5 sen, SAAG went up half sen to 27.5 sen, Equine Capital advanced 3.5 sen to 57 sen, and Mulpha went up 1.5 sen to 55.5 sen.
Among the heavyweights, Sime Darby lost two sen to RM8.31 and British American Tobacco fell 76 sen to RM48.00.
However, Bumiputra-Commerce and PPB increased 14 sen each to RM10.64 and RM15.00 respectively.
Maybank and MISC added 10 sen each to RM6.85 and RM8.90 respectively and Tenaga Nasional and Axiata jumped one sen to RM8.15 and RM2.93 respectively.
Volume on the Main Market rose to 926.704 million shares valued at RM1.521 billion from 706.975 million shares valued at RM1.592 billion yesterday.
However, the ACE Market turnover declined to 74.909 million shares worth RM12.452 million from 88.208 million shared worth RM15.859 million yesterday.
Warrants also dropped to 19.143 million shares valued at RM5.346 million from 32.633 million shares worth RM9.706 million previously.
Consumer products accounted for 47.715 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products 217.476 million, construction 92.929 million, trade/services 287.358 million, technology 24.071 million, infrastructure 15.424 million, finance 96.573 million, hotels 2.833 million, properties 119.403 million, plantations 19.916 million, mining 76,000, REITs 2.855 million, and closed/fund 72,000. – Bernama
Show/Hide comments
Show/Hide comment form
