IPPFA Sdn Bhd director of investment strategy and country economist Sedek Jantan noted that market sentiment was dampened by the lack of direction from Wall Street as the US markets were closed overnight for the Thanksgiving Day holiday.
“As today marks Black Friday, US trading will resume later in a shortened session, typically characterised by thinner liquidity and limited global spillovers.
“Until full US participation returns, regional markets, including Malaysia, are likely to be driven more by domestic catalysts and short-term positioning flows,” he told Bernama.
Meanwhile, Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice-president of equity research Thong Pak Leng said the local market sentiment has softened in the short term, but the broader trend remains constructive as long as the index stays above the crucial 1,600 threshold.
“With the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) slipping into oversold position and moving closer to the support area at around 1,595-1,600, we expect bargain-hunting activities to gradually return,” he said.
Bursa Malaysia Securities announced that the trading of UEM Edgenta Bhd’s shares and its structured warrants will resume with effect from 9am on Monday, Dec 1, 2025.
At 5pm, the FBM KLCI fell 12.99 points, or 0.8%, to 1,604.47 from Thursday’s close of 1,617.46.
The benchmark index, which opened 0.71 of-a-point lower at 1,616.75, climbed to an intraday high of 1,617.26 in early trade, slipped briefly below the 1,600 threshold to an intraday low of 1,597.68 in late trading before gathering steam towards closing.
The broader market was negative, with decliners thumping gainers 815 to 353. A total of 513 counters were unchanged, 1,045 untraded, and 48 suspended.
Turnover slipped to 4.09 billion units worth RM3.36 billion from 4.21 billion units worth RM2.83 billion on Thursday.
Among heavyweights, Maybank dropped seven sen to RM9.91, Public Bank was unchanged at RM4.35, CIMB picked up 17 sen to RM7.65, Tenaga Nasional lost 10 sen to RM13.18, and IHH Healthcare gained three sen to RM8.26.
On the most active list, ACE Market debutant Foodie Media bagged 10 sen to 40 sen, Eastern & Oriental trimmed five sen to 71 sen, Tanco gained two sen to RM1.13, YTL Power dipped 30 sen to RM3.26, and VS Industry gave up 2.5 sen to 45 sen.
Top gainers included BLD Plantation, which rose 90 sen to RM15.80, Allianz garnered 30 sen to RM18.98, Ajinomoto gained 18 sen to RM13.66, Theta Edge surged 16.5 sen to 72.5 sen, and IOI Properties climbed 16 sen to RM2.59.
Among the top losers, Nestle shaved RM2.10 to RM106.90, MPI shed RM1.08 sen to RM31.92, United Plantations gave up 40 sen to RM28.22, Petronas Gas lost 34 sen to RM17.52, and PPB declined 30 sen to RM11.
On the index board, the FBM Emas Index dropped 104.69 points to 11,915.97, the FBM Emas Shariah Index tumbled 150.33 points to 11,850.90, and the FBMT 100 Index slid 100.72 points to 11,700.97.
The FBM Mid 70 Index declined 171.36 points to 16,856.08 and the FBM ACE Index slipped 32.04 points to 4,824.62.
Sector-wise, the financial services index rose 18.26 points to 18,575.95, the plantation index fell 58.12 points to 8,072.12, the industrial products & services index eased 0.44 of-a-point to 164.03, and the energy index gave up 8.15 points to 747.78.
The Main Market volume widened to 1.76 billion units worth RM2.92 billion from 1.54 billion units worth RM2.35 billion on Thursday.
Warrants turnover dwindled to 1.79 billion units worth RM255.37 million against 2.32 billion units worth RM377.33 million yesterday.
The ACE Market volume soared to 541.51 million units valued at RM189.06 million versus 346.4 million units valued at RM96.26 million previously.
Consumer products and services counters accounted for 280.91 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products and services (323.16 million), construction (104.59 million), technology (214.32 million), financial services (82.27 million), property (311.56 million), plantation (69.34 million), real estate investment trusts (61.94 million), closed-end fund (100,000), energy (68.25 million), healthcare (56,71 million), telecommunications and media (42.51 million), transportation and logistics (45.32 million), utilities (94.89 million), and business trusts (40,400).