Bursa and ringgit start the day in negative territory

Bursa and ringgit start the day in negative territory

Selling of heavyweights in early trade and new macroeconomic data from the US put pressure on the local market and currency.

KUALA LUMPUR:
Bursa Malaysia and the ringgit started the last trading day of the week on a weak note, driven by conditions abroad and at home.

On the stock market, the selling of heavyweights in early trade, particularly the financial services counters, put pressure on the benchmark index.

By 9.05am, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) had eased 2.83 points to settle at 1,425.21 points. It closed at 1,428.04 yesterday.

The barometer index had begun the day 2.59 points weaker at 1,425.45.

Losers led gainers 141 to 104 in the broader market while 215 counters were unchanged. There was no trading on 1,784 counters while 14 others remained suspended.

The turnover stood at 153.79 million units worth RM77.53 million.

Meanwhile, the release of several US macroeconomic data gave the greenback a boost, leaving the ringgit trailing.

The local note started trading at 4.5445/4.5480 versus the greenback today, down from yesterday’s closing rate of 4.5365/4.5395.

Stay current - Follow FMT on WhatsApp, Google news and Telegram

Subscribe to our newsletter and get news delivered to your mailbox.