Kuala Lumpur, Oct 21 – Bursa Malaysia ended the week in a positive note today with the benchmark index FBM KLCI rose 8.70 points or +0.61% at 1,446.42. The index was lifted by selective buying in energy and banking stocks.
Tracking the broadly negative cues from Wall Street overnight, with traders remaining cautious as concerns about the outlook almost all Asian bourses ended in red due to several factors, namely high Treasury bond yields, fears of higher inflation, fears of global economic outlook. An eight-year high core Consumer Price Index (CPI) from Japan and looming fears of Tokyo’s meddling to defend the yen, as well as the same hopes from policymakers in China and India, keeps the risk appetite weak.
Singapore’s STI was the laggard among the peers today, with the index dived 1.72% at 2970.82, hitting the lowest point in 20 months. Whilst Australia’s ASX 200 drops nearly 0.80% intraday as investors wait the annual budget and expect downbeat growth and firmer inflation ahead
** The FTSE BM KLCI opened at 1,435.39. The index fluctuated between 1,433.26 – 1,444.26.
** 400 counters are gainers, 382 counters are unchanged, while 388 counters are decliners.
** Total volume of 1,991,366,570 shares changed hands; while Turnover of RM 1,508,015,456
** The Top 5 Gainers: HEXTECH (10.00, +0.90); PMBTECH-LA (20.50, +0.50); IMASPRO (5.57, +0.37); BURSA (6.30, +0.30); SJC (2.60, +0.25)
** The Top 5 Losers: NESTLE (132.80, -1.20); F&N (19.70, -0.70); CARLSBG (22.20, -0.64); UTDPLT (14.12, -0.38); HEIM (23.30, -0.38)
** The Top 5 Active : EDUSPEC (0.02, +0.005); TAWIN (0.055, UNCHANGED); HEXIND (0.545, +0.025); BORNOIL (0.02, -0.005); MYEG (0.83, UNCHANGED)
* Singapore’s Straits Times Index (STI) dived 51.88 points or -1.72% to 2,970.82; Hong Kong’s HSI down 69.10 points or -0.42% at 16,211.12; Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index ceded 116.38 points or -0.43% at 26,890.58; Shanghai’s SSE Composite Index rose 3.88 points or +0.13% at 3,038.93; Korea’s Kospi Index shed 4.97 points or -0.22% at 2,213.12; Australia S&P/ASX 200 Index dropped 53.90 points or -0.80% at 6,676.80.
