Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice-president of equity research Thong Pak Leng attributed the muted trading today to a lack of buying interest, especially in a shortened trading week.
“With only three trading days, we see low volume, which means less trade for this week,” he told Bernama.
Besides, Thong said Bank Negara Malaysia monetary policy committee’s decision to maintain the overnight policy rate at 2.75% has no impact on the local stock market.
At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) shed 0.37 of-a-point to 1,578.15 from yesterday’s close of 1,578.52.
The index opened 1.40 points higher at 1,579.92 and moved between 1,575.99 and 1,581.89 throughout the day.
In the broader market, decliners beat gainers 552 to 385, while 527 counters were unchanged, with 1,094 untraded and seven suspended.
Turnover declined to 2.32 billion units worth RM2.30 billion from 2.70 billion units worth RM2.80 billion yesterday.
Among the heavyweights, Maybank and Public Bank added 1 sen to RM9.99 and RM4.27 respectively, CIMB Group gained 7 sen to RM7.30, IHH Healthcare was flat at RM6.91 and Tenaga Nasional shed 4 sen to RM13.06.
As for the active counters, Sime Darby eased 3 sen to RM2.03, Zetrix AI slipped 0.5 sen to 86.5 sen, Velesto Energy ticked down 1 sen to 20.5 sen and Tanco Holdings slipped 0.5 sen to 79.5 sen, while DneX was unchanged at 24.5 sen.
Across the broader market, the FBM Emas Index trimmed 11.24 points to 11,715.29, the FBMT 100 Index slipped 11.36 points to 11,484.16, and the FBM Emas Shariah Index dipped 32.10 points to 11,675.52.
The FBM 70 Index lost 54.69 points to 16,434.71, while the FBM ACE Index was 15.36 points lower at 4,738.73.
Sector-wise, the financial services index edged up 42.48 points to 18,114.44, the industrial products and services index slid 0.50 of a point to 162.99, the energy index fell 6.30 points to 743.62, and the plantation index eased 1.46 of a point to 7,604.43.
The Main Market volume dwindled to 1.24 billion units valued at RM2.09 billion from 1.60 billion units valued at RM2.54 billion yesterday.
Warrants turnover declined to 723.44 million units worth RM108.28 million from 744.83 million units worth RM117.03 million previously.
The ACE Market volume was higher at 363.27 million units worth RM96.72 million from 354.82 million units worth RM145.97 million yesterday.
Consumer products and services counters accounted for 246.16 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products and services (193.73 million), construction (109.50 million), technology (165.55 million), financial services (78.18 million), property (130.41 million), plantation (21.28 million), REITs (31.29 million), closed/fund (288,900), energy (105.52 million), healthcare (53.84 million), telecommunications and media (19.59 million), transportation and logistics (32.34 million), utilities (48.04 million), and business trusts (390,200).