At 9.10am, the FBM KLCI fell 1.31 points to 1,675.33 from yesterday’s close of 1,676.64. The index had opened 0.64 of a point weaker at 1,676.0.
Market breadth was positive, with 138 gainers leading 116 losers. A further 273 counters were unchanged, while 2,246 were untraded and 50 suspended.
Turnover amounted to 111.54 million shares valued at RM52.67 million.
Malacca Securities Sdn Bhd noted that Wall Street closed higher, supported by artificial intelligence-linked stocks and optimism surrounding the US economic outlook following stronger-than-expected third-quarter gross domestic product data.
“As we believe that the FBM KLCI may see some profit-taking today after its recent rally, trading activity typically softens during the holiday week; however, we expect the index to end the year higher, led by banking stocks,” it said in a note.
Among the heavyweights, MRDIY added three sen to RM1.54, Petronas Gas rose 10 sen to RM18.10, Press Metal gained two sen to RM7.17, while Maybank lost four sen to RM10.50 and CIMB fell three sen to RM8.15.
On the most active list, TWL and Top Glove were flat at 2.5 sen and 64 sen, respectively. Pharmaniaga and Pegasus increased 0.5 sen to 30 sen and one sen, respectively. Capital A and Zetrix AI slid 0.5 sen to 38.5 sen and 81 sen, respectively.
Top gainers included KSL and APM Automotive, which increased 80 sen to RM3.04 and RM3.28, respectively. Malayan Cement gained six sen to RM7.40, Kimlun was five sen higher at RM1.27, and MI Technovation rose four sen to RM2.84.
Among the top losers, Malaysian Pacific declined 12 sen to RM32.62, Time Dotcom slipped eight sen to RM5.48, while Solarvest and FACB fell four sen to RM10.50 and RM1.54, respectively.
On the index board, the FBM Emas Index was 5.95 points weaker at 12,295.53, the FBMT Top 100 Index declined 6.52 points to 12,093.96, and the FBM ACE Index shed 7.56 points to 4,824.88.
The FBM Emas Shariah Index widened 2.95 points to 12,108.98, and the FBM Mid 70 Index strengthened 4.02 points to 16,879.50.
Sector-wise, the Plantation Index narrowed 0.80 of a point to 8,233.48, the Financial Services Index ticked down 33.88 points to 19,631.63, and the Energy Index dropped 0.24 of a point to 765.94, while the Industrial Products and Services Index inched up 0.38 points to 173.72.