At 3.06pm, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) was 9.86 points better at 1,673.13 from Wednesday’s close of 1,663.27.

Contributing a total of 2.943 points to the key index, Maybank soared 15 sen to RM9.44 with 3.26 million shares changing hands.

There were 336 gainers and 369 losers while 324 counters were unchanged, 885 untraded and 38 others suspended.

Volume stood at 1.08 billion units valued at RM852.92 million.

Among heavyweights, Public Bank rose 10 sen to RM25.00, CIMB gained seven sen to RM5.82, but Tenaga eased six sen to RM13.44.

Petronas Chemicals was flat at RM9.17.

The FBM Emas Index edged up 50.98 points to 11,486.85, the FBMT 100 Index improved 54.63 points to 11,381.52, the FBM 70 advanced 14.54 points to 13,220.83, and the FBM Emas Shariah Index was 30.69 points firmer at 11,437.31.

However, the FBM Ace Index fell 84.28 points to 4,448.47.

Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index put on 137.96 points to 17,427.65, the Plantation Index gained 30.02 points to 6,690.5 and the Industrial Products and Services Index added 0.20 of-a-point to 167.39.