BURSA MALAYSIA OPENS HIGHER ON STRONG WALL STREET CUE

By Abdul Hamid A Rahman

KUALA LUMPUR, April 15 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia opened higher today, lifted by positive sentiment following Wall Street’s strong overnight performance.

At 9.10 am, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) added 4.45 points to 1,485.31 from Monday’s close of 1,480.86. The benchmark index had opened 3.15 points higher at 1,484.01.

The broader market was positive, with gainers outpacing decliners 210 to 114. A total of 267 counters were unchanged, 1,806 untraded and nine suspended.

Turnover stood at 239.92 million shares worth RM86.88 million.

Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.78 per cent to 40,524.79 points. The S&P 500 gained 0.79 per cent to 5,405.97, while the Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.64 per cent to 16,831.48.

Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd equity research vice-president Thong Pak Leng said on the local front, the FBM KLCI outperformed expectations, closing at the 1,480.86 level in tandem with the positive global cues from the tariff reprieve.

“With signs indicating a potential softening in US President Donald Trump’s tariff stance, the market undertone appears to be improving. We anticipate the benchmark index trending within the 1,480–1,500 range today,” he told Bernama.

Among the heavyweights, IHH Healthcare advanced 4.0 sen to RM6.82, Maybank added 3.0 sen to RM9.92, Tenaga Nasional rose 2.0 sen to RM13.40, Public Bank edged up 1.0 sen to RM4.32 while CIMB Group declined 1.0 sen to RM6.72.

Among the actives, Hubline and Kucingko gained 1.0 sen to 5.0 sen and 18 sen respectively, and Velocity Capital was flat at 8.0 sen,

Meanwhile, Reach Energy slid 1.0 sen to half-a-sen, and ACE Market debutant MSB Global dropped 2.5 sen to 17.5 sen.

On the index board, the FBM Emas Index climbed 33.03 points to 11,032.79, the FBMT 100 Index advanced 30.83 points to 10,815.94, the FBM Emas Shariah Index rose 34.96 points to 10,854.50, and the FBM 70 Index improved 38.00 points to 15,541.15.

Meanwhile, the FBM ACE Index slipped 6.49 points to 4,518.25.

Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index enhanced 48.68 points to 17,803.84, the Industrial Products and Services Index edged up 0.05 of-a-point to 143.54, the Energy Index added 1.01 points to 657.07, and the Plantation Index expanded 14.06 points to 7,224.39.

-- BERNAMA