“Buying interest can be seen mainly on plantation, healthcare and telco stocks while the energy sector was under selling pressure,” he told Bernama.
He said the domestic market’s tone has grown steadier following the release of the US consumer price index (CPI) data, which had renewed hopes of a rate hike pause by the Federal Reserve.
The US CPI accelerated to 3.7% in August compared with market predictions of 3.6%.
At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) slid 3.96 points to 1,449.58 from yesterday’s close of 1,453.54.
The index opened 4.32 points lower at 1,449.22 and fluctuated between 1,445.31 and 1,455.09 throughout the session.
On the broader market, gainers outnumbered decliners 527 to 342 while 459 counters were unchanged, 1,006 untraded and nine suspended.
Turnover was higher at 2.96 billion units worth RM2.20 billion against Wednesday’s 2.51 billion units worth RM1.88 billion.
At home, heavyweight Maybank traded at ex-dividend today in respect of the single-tier first interim dividend for the financial year ending Dec 31, 2023.
At market close, its share rose one sen to RM8.84 compared with the reference price of RM8.83 while Public Bank and Axiata each added three sen to RM4.17 and RM2.50 respectively.
Press Metal lost three sen to RM4.89 and MISC was five sen weaker at RM7.18.
Among the actives, KNM, Sarawak Consolidated Industries and MQ Technology were flat at 10.5 sen, 47 sen and three sen respectively.
On the index board, the FBMT 100 Index shed 10.11 points to 10,375.72 and the FBM Emas Index eased by 5.55 points to 10,700.46.
The FBM Emas Shariah Index advanced 21.94 points to 10,939.27, the FBM 70 Index perked 63.21 points to 14,151.55 and the FBM ACE Index was 20.26 points higher at 5,164.56.
Sector-wise, the financial services index slipped 93.52 points to 16,237.42, the energy index improved one point to 881.41, the industrial products and services index inched up 0.07 of-a-point to 172.24 and the plantation index edged up 36.29 points to 6,965.2.
The Main Market’s volume widened to 2.12 billion units worth RM2 billion from 1.77 billion units worth RM1.7 billion on Wednesday.
Warrants turnover improved to 288.45 million units valued at RM41.40 million against yesterday’s 265.15 million units valued at RM36.82 million.
The ACE Market volume expanded to 546.61 million shares worth RM157.78 million from 465.79 million shares worth RM144.47 million previously.
Consumer products and services counters accounted for 331.82 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products and services (374.33 million); construction (121.57 million); technology (132.86 million); SPAC (nil); financial services (75.41 million); property (332.58 million); plantation (35.76 million); REITs (11.57 million), closed/fund (87,300); energy (467.49 million); healthcare (76.80 million); telecommunications and media (33.92 million); transportation and logistics (43.60 million); and utilities (80.15 million).