BURSA MALAYSIA EASIER AT MIDDAY

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 29 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia remained marginally lower at midday due to ongoing mild profit-taking in some blue-chip counters, analysts said. 

At 12.30 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) eased to 1,609.03, from last Friday’s close of 1,609.05.

The benchmark index opened 0.70 of-a-point higher at 1,609.75, subsequently moving between 1,606.76 and 1,613.53 throughout the morning trading session.

Market breadth was negative with decliners leading gainers 591 to 398, while 434 counters were unchanged, 1,225 untraded, and 124 suspended.

Turnover stood at 2.54 billion units worth RM1.23 billion.

Hong Leong Investment Bank Bhd said that it maintains a constructive view on the FBM KLCI, in view of the United States (US) core Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Price Index data and reports that the US is mulling a zero per cent tariff on selected Malaysian exports (auto parts, aerospace, furniture, cocoa, and palm oil).

“We anticipate a potential retest of the 1,612 1,625-1,640 resistance zones ahead of a people-friendly, fiscally-prudent Budget 2026, to be tabled on Oct 10,” it said. 

Among heavyweights, CIMB and MRDIY rose 6.0 sen each to RM7.31 and RM1.68 respectively, CelcomDigi added 5.0 sen to RM3.71, Petronas Dagangan soared 34 sen to RM22.76 and Axiata accumulated 3.0 sen to RM2.63. 

In active trade, EA Holdings, MTouche and NexG were flat at half-a-sen, 6.5 sen and 9.5 sen, respectively, Tanco declined 1.5 sen to 88.5 sen, and SNS eased half-a-sen to 66.5 sen.

Aside from Petronas Dagangan, top gainers Nestle perked up 90 sen to RM96.94; Plenitude increased 29 sen to RM2.15; Country View rose 24 sen to RM3.02; and Hong Leong Finance Group expanded 14 sen to RM17.06. 

As for the top losers, MPI shed 30 sen to RM29; PPB Group slid 26 sen to RM9.86, Petronas Chemicals fell 15 sen to RM4.40; Kelington Group trimmed 12 sen to RM5.49 and Malayan Cement slipped 11 sen to RM4.11.

On the broader market, the FBM Emas Index reduced 13.29 points to 11,980.15, the FBMT 100 Index dropped 8.81 points to 11,716.23, the FBM Emas Shariah Index decreased 39.81 points to 12,008.65, the FBM 70 Index fell 50.27 points to 16,800.08, and the FBM ACE Index declined by 51.75 points to 5,148.71.

By sector, the Industrial Products and Services Index slid 1.68 points to 172.08 and the Energy Index shaved 3.15 points to 779.37, while the Financial Services Index improved 63.04 points to 18,219.88, and the Plantation Index grew by 8.98 points to 7,771.63.

-- BERNAMA