Just 10 minutes into the day’s trading session, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) had gained 9.57 points to 1,478.01 compared with yesterday’s close of 1,468.44.
The benchmark index opened 4.92 points higher at 1,473.36.
On the broader market, gainers led losers 188 to 81, while 180 counters were unchanged, 1,902 were not traded and 21 others were suspended.
Turnover stood at 132.21 million units worth RM60.82 million.
Malacca Securities Sdn Bhd said the market was expected to remain volatile, at least until the US federal open market committee (FOMC) meeting next week.
“Investors are waiting for more clarity from US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell on the interest rate. Currently, the market is pricing in a 75-basis points (bps) rate hike,” it said.
“Meanwhile, geopolitical uncertainties could be capping the upside reward at this juncture,” it added.
Crude oil ticked up to the US$94 per barrel mark, while crude palm oil traded above RM3,800 per tonne, today.
Among the heavyweights, both Maybank and CIMB Bank gained seven sen each to RM8.92 and RM5.46, respectively, Public Bank added four sen to RM4.48, IHH Healthcare improved 10 sen to RM6.30, while Petronas Chemicals declined five sen to RM8.65.
Of the actives, SNS Network Technology, Siab Holdings and Yew Lee Pacific firmed up a sen each to 31 sen, 17.5 sen and 26.5 sen, respectively, while both Vinvest Capital Holdings and NWP Holdings edged up half-a-sen to 20 sen and 24.5 sen, respectively.
On the index board, the FBM emas index expanded 56.76 points to 10,531.96, the FBMT 100 index ticked up 58.19 points to 10,275.19, the FBM emas shariah index increased 38.11 points to 10,630.90, the FBM 70 advanced 38.83 points to 12,747.00, while the FBM ACE was 12.32 points lower at 4,832.58.
Sector-wise, the energy index was 10.30 points stronger at 729.24, the plantation index perked 5.47 points to 6,950.51 and the financial services index surged 129.71 points to 16,613.76, while the industrial products and services index eased 0.19 of-a-point to 181.56.
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