KUALA LUMPUR (March 30): The FBM KLCI ended the morning session slightly lower by 0.18% as the market bellwether was weighed down by losses in selected heavyweights led by Top Glove Corp Bhd and Axiata Group Bhd.
At the lunch break, the key index had retreated 2.96 points to 1,608.32 from yesterday’s close at 1,611.28.
The index opened 5.13 points easier at 1,606.15, and moved between 1,601.67 and 1,608.65 throughout the morning session.
On the broader market, losers outnumbered gainers at 582 versus 364, while 429 counters were unchanged, 824 untraded and 93 others suspended.
Total volume stood at 2.86 billion shares worth RM1.78 billion.
Top Glove trimmed 22 sen to RM4.83 after the US Customs and Border Protection (US CBP) directed its personnel at all US ports of entry to begin seizing disposable gloves produced in Malaysia by the glove producer.
Among other heavyweights, Axiata Group Bhd and Hap Seng Consolidated Bhd fell nine sen each to RM3.76 and RM8.23 respectively, while Digi.Com Bhd shed five sen to RM3.72 and Genting Malaysia Bhd (GenM) eased three sen to RM3.11.
Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank) advanced seven sen to RM8.45, Public Bank Bhd gained four sen to RM4.27, Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) put on eight sen to RM10.42 and IHH Healthcare Bhd was nine sen higher at RM5.39.
As for the active counters, Berjaya Corp Bhd (BCorp) added 1.5 sen to 35 sen, ACE Market debutant Flexidynamic Holdings Bhd surged 26 sen to 46 sen, Dagang NeXchange Bhd (DNeX) perked up five sen to 93.5 sen, Kanger International Bhd was flat at seven sen and Widad Group Bhd trimmed 4.5 sen to 61 sen.
On the index board, the FBM 70 slipped 51.08 points to 15,550.71, the FBM Emas Index shrank 24.96 points to 11,809.86, the FBMT 100 slid 25.41 points to 11,480.51, the FBM ACE eased 79.18 points to 10,404.91 and the FBM Emas Shariah fell 56.74 points to 13,076.88.
Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index expanded 55.66 points to 15,474.77, the Plantation Index increased 33.78 points to 7,130.24 and the Industrial Products and Services Index inched down 0.38 of a point to 192.48.
