Bursa Malaysia Remains Lower At Midday
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 4 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia remained lower at midday as profit-taking in selected banking and telecommunications heavyweights continued to weigh on the key index, and in line with the performance of most regional peers.
At 12.30 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) fell 2.42 points or 0.14 per cent to 1,619.43 from yesterday’s close of 1,621.85.
The benchmark index opened 1.46 points higher at 1,623.31, marking its high for the session, and subsequently hit a low of 1,616.00 in early trade.
In the broader market, losers beat gainers 534 to 313, while 493 counters were unchanged, 1,421 were untraded, and 10 were suspended.
Turnover stood at 1.29 billion units worth RM862.40 million.
Apex Securities Bhd said Bank Negara Malaysia’s November 5 rate decision is now just a day away, while the ongoing third-quarter 2026 earnings season and continued positioning ahead of the FBM KLCI’s phased expansion from 30 to 50 constituents are keeping market flows selective.
The stockbroking firm added that sentiment was further weighed down by the political overhang surrounding the Sarawak and Melaka state elections, as well as speculation over the 16th general election.
“We expect the FBM KLCI to continue consolidating within the 1,600-1,630 range, with external artificial intelligence-valuation and geopolitical swings likely to keep volatility elevated even as the local Purchasing Managers' Index recovery offers a steadying counterweight,” it said in a note today.
Among the heavyweight stocks, Maybank lost seven sen to RM9.97, Public Bank dropped three sen to RM4.78, Tenaga Nasional fell four sen to RM13.12, and CIMB slipped six sen to RM6.92, while IHH Healthcare rose four sen to RM7.80.
In active trade, Aizo and MAG were flat at seven sen and 15.5 sen, respectively, while Land & General and Velesto were half a sen lower at 18 sen and 17.5 sen, respectively. Zetrix AI increased half a sen to 6.5 sen.
Concrete Engineering led the top gainers, rising 40 sen to RM4.70, United Plantations improved 32 sen to RM30.20, Hong Leong Financial climbed 16 sen to RM17.64, Malayan Cement went up 14 sen to RM5.44, and MISC garnered 13 sen to RM8.48.
Among the top losers, Fraser & Neave slipped 48 sen to RM20.72, Nestle lost 20 sen to RM95.68, Dutch Lady reduced 18 sen to RM28.72, Sunway Construction declined 13 sen to RM7.59, and Sarawak Oil Palms fell 11 sen to RM5.42.
On the index board, the FBM Emas Index decreased 18.72 points to 12,049.60, the FBM Top 100 Index trimmed 13.02 points to 11,866.83, while the FBM ACE Index gave up 28.60 points to 5,290.44.
The FBM Mid 70 Index inched up 0.83 of a point to 17,319.73 and the FBM Emas Shariah Index was 6.92 points higher at 12,051.83.
Sector-wise, the Energy Index declined 5.73 points to 821.27, the Financial Services Index dipped 74.38 points to 18,642.53, and the Plantation Index gained 17.93 points to 8,787.58, while the Industrial Products and Services Index edged down 0.05 of a point to 177.53.
-- BERNAMA