At 9.06am, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) picked up 1.88 points to 1,493.06 from Friday’s close of 1,491.18.

The benchmark index opened 0.85 of-a-point better at 1,492.03.

However, on the broader market, losers surpassed gainers 156 to 110, while 195 counters were unchanged, 1,825 not traded and 19 others suspended.

Turnover stood at 166.70 million units worth RM46.58 million.

Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice-president of equity research Thong Pak Leng said the DJI Average declined 338 points, while the Nasdaq lost 154 points despite the US 10-year yield easing below 3.2%.

On the home front, he reckoned market interest should shift back to the construction sector as reports speculating on the 15th general election grow in intensity.

“Therefore, we expect the index to trend within the 1,485 to 1,505 range today,” he said.

Among the heavyweights, MISC Bhd gained 17 sen to RM7.13, Axiata Group Bhd, Maxis and Public Bank added a sen each to RM2.99, RM3.74 and RM4.68 respectively, while Maybank rose three sen to RM8.96.

Of the actives, SNS Network Technology improved a sen to 27.5 sen, while Vortex, BCM Alliance and Hextar Industries dipped half-a-sen each to 16 sen, two sen and 40.5 sen respectively and Serba Dinamik was flat at 2.5 sen.

On the index board, the FBM Emas Index expanded 3.72 points to 10,559.25, the FBMT 100 Index advanced 4.49 points to 10,314.26, the FBM 70 lost 29.03 points to 12,532.12, the FBM ACE shed 18.98 points to 4,787.70 and the FBM Emas Shariah Index weakened 6.20 points to 10,593.43.

Sector-wise, the plantation index was 9.48 points lower at 6,948.36 and the the industrial products and services index slid 0.06 of-a-point to 180.16, while the financial services index climbed 29.66 points to 16,793.67 and the energy index strengthened 3.29 points to 700.36.

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