BURSA MALAYSIA EDGES HIGHER DESPITE WALL STREET’S MIXED LEAD

By Abdul Hamid A Rahman

KUALA LUMPUR, April 18 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia traded higher in early trade, tracking Wall Street’s mixed performance as investors remained cautiously optimistic amid lingering uncertainty over the United States (US) tariff outlook.

At 9.10 am, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) improved 5.19 points to 1,488.46 from Thursday’s close of 1,483.27.

The benchmark index opened 1.63 points lower at 1,481.64.

The broader market was positive, with gainers outpacing decliners 158 to 112. A total of 218 counters were unchanged, 1,935 untraded, and 29 suspended.

Turnover stood at 231.25 million shares worth RM58.88 million.

Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd equity research vice-president Thong Pak Leng said Wall Street ended mixed yesterday after a volatile session, with both Dow Jones and Nasdaq indices posting losses for a third consecutive day.

“Market sentiment remained fragile amid renewed uncertainty stemming from US President Donald Trump’s erratic tariff rhetoric and escalating US-China tensions,” he told Bernama.

Meanwhile, Thong said in Asia, equities edged higher, buoyed by optimism surrounding US-Japan trade talks.

“President Trump’s remarks on ‘big progress’ in negotiations lifted sentiment.

“On the domestic front, the FBM KLCI is expected to trade within the 1,470–1,500 range today,” he added.

Among the heavyweights, Maybank climbed 3.0 sen to RM9.90, while CIMB Group and Public Bank added 2.0 sen each to RM6.78 and RM4.35, respectively. Tenaga Nasional tumbled 14.0 sen to RM13.34, and IHH Healthcare slipped 8.0 sen to RM6.77.

Among the actives, Ingenieur Gudang increased 1.0 sen to 4.0 sen, and Widad Group advanced half-a-sen to 3.5 sen. NexG slipped 1.0 sen to 30.5 sen, while Avangaad and Bina Puri were flat at 28.5 sen and 34.5 sen, respectively.

On the index board, the FBM Emas Index rose 37.51 points to 11,037.82, the FBMT 100 Index climbed 39.64 points to 10,823.74, the FBM Emas Shariah Index improved 31.69 points to 10,845.64, and the FBM 70 Index surged 64.35 points to 15,491.77.

Meanwhile, the FBM ACE Index slipped 0.01 of-a-point to 4,558.12.

Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index advanced 73.37 points to 17,854.28, the Industrial Products and Services Index edged up 0.45 of-a-point to 144.68, the Energy Index strengthened 6.72 points to 662.07, and the Plantation Index added 44.24 points to 7,187.39.

-- BERNAMA