BURSA MALAYSIA HIGHER AT MIDDAY BREAK

KUALA LUMPUR, March 21 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia was higher at the midday break today as the buying momentum in selected heavyweights helped lift the key index.

At 12.30 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 5.59 points to 1,509.75 from Thursday’s close of 1,504.16.

The benchmark index had opened 0.29 of a point lower at 1,503.87 40 and moved between 1,503.71 and 1,513.23 throughout the morning session.

On the broader market, decliners outpaced gainers 456 to 302, while 397 counters were unchanged, 1,282 untraded, and 29 suspended. 

Turnover stood at 1.8 billion shares worth RM995.49 million.

Meanwhile, Malaysia's inflation rose at a slower pace of 1.5 per cent in February 2025, with the index standing at 134.1 points compared with 132.1 in the same month a year earlier, the Statistics Department (DOSM) said.

Among the heavyweights, Maybank advanced six sen to RM10.24, TNB surged 10 sen to RM13.60 and CIMB gained nine sen to RM6.89. IHH Healthcare soared 11 sen to RM6.88, Hong Leong Bank appreciated 12 sen to RM20.52, Public Bank was flat at RM4.48 and CelcomDigi fell one sen to RM3.43.

As for the active stocks, Saliran Group and Ucrest edged up half-a-sen each to 24.5 sen and 10.5 sen, respectively, while IJM Corp bagged nine sen to RM2.09. Kinergy Advancement was flat at 32.5 sen and ACE market debutant Lim Seong Hai Capital declined five sen to 83 sen. 

On the index board, the FBM Emas Index grew 28.41 points to 11,329.78, the FBMT 100 Index widened 35.36 points to 11,087.19, and the FBM Emas Shariah Index accumulated 24.43 points to 11,051.25. 

The FBM 70 Index bounced 29.52 points to 16,303.04, and the FBM ACE Index grew 29.52 points to 4,808.23.

Sector-wise, the Industrial Products and Services Index edged up 0.28 of a point to 154.44, the Financial Services Index climbed 62.37 points to 18,467.67 and the Plantation Index garnered 20.0 points to 7,471.49, while the Energy Index went down 0.53 of-a-point to 749.77. 

-- BERNAMA