KUALA LUMPUR (March 31): The FBM KLCI ended the morning session sharply lower by 1.73% as the market bellwether was weighed down by losses mainly in glove stocks.
At the lunch break, the key index had retreated 27.76 points to 1,581.43 from yesterday’s close at 1,609.19.
The index opened 0.23 of a point easier at 1,608.96, and moved between 1,579.89 and 1,608.96 throughout the morning session.
On the broader market, losers thumped gainers by 754 versus 250, while 365 counters were unchanged, 832 untraded and 86 others suspended.
Total volume stood at 4.6 billion shares worth RM1.91 billion.
Glove stocks took a beating after the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) directed its personnel at all US ports of entry to begin seizing disposable gloves produced in Malaysia by Top Glove Corp Bhd.
Top Glove fell 29 sen to RM4.49, while Hartalega Holdings Bhd lost 40 sen to RM8.96 and Supermax Corp Bhd declined 10 sen to RM3.85.
Among other heavyweights, Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank) declined 10 sen to RM8.30, Public Bank Bhd gave up eight sen to RM4.20, Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd (PetChem) went down three sen to RM8.07, Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) slid 14 sen to RM10.26 and IHH Healthcare Bhd trimmed nine sen to RM5.34.
As for the active counters, Berjaya Corp Bhd (BCorp) rose 2.5 sen to 42 sen, Scomi Group Bhd gained two sen to 7.5 sen, Barakah Offshore Petroleum Bhd went up 2.5 sen to 11.5 sen, Minda Global Bhd was one sen higher at 12.5 sen and Fintec Global Bhd edged down half a sen to six sen.
On the index board, the FBM 70 slipped 118.25 points to 15,484.12, the FBM Emas Index shrank 167.29 points to 11,655.48, the FBMT 100 slid 169.41 points to 11,325.63, the FBM ACE dipped 106.95 points to 10,125.94 and the FBM Emas Shariah fell 198.14 points to 12,891.25.
Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index shaved off 166.72 points to 15,292.19, the Plantation Index decreased 71.06 points to 7,063.61 and the Industrial Products and Services Index shed 1.58 points to 191.95.
