Kuala Lumpur, January 16 – Bursa Malaysia closed slightly lower on Monday with the FBM KLCI shaved 1.47 points or -0.1% at 1,493.56.
Meanwhile the Asian bourses ended mixed. Japan’s Nikkei 225 led the losses as the index plunged 1.14%, falling below 26,000-point level, and ended at 25,822.32. The Japanese bourse was dragged by a massive sell-off as market participants are awaiting the announcement of monetary policy by BoJ (Bank of Japan) on Wednesday.
China’s Shanghai SSE Composite Index, on the other hand, led the gains by jumping 1.01% and closed at 3,227.59. Whilst Hong Kong’s HSI was traded volatile today. The index was flirting with 22,000 point-level in the morning session but reversed its gains in the afternoon. But the losses narrowed towards the end of the trading day. It merely added 8.06 points or 0.04% at 21,746.72.
The People’s Bank of China (PBoC)’s supportive policy to support weak housing demand and reopening- have boosted the optimism and hence Chinese stocks performance. According to Ho Woei Chen, Economist at UOB Group, a sense of deflation in the Producer Price index (PPI) is likely to continue through the first half of CY2023.
** The FTSE BM KLCI opened at 1,494.81. The index fluctuated between 1,489.00 – 1,496.05
** 411 counters are gainers, 387 counters are unchanged, while 485 counters are decliners.
** Total volume of 3.922 billion shares changed hands; while Turnover of RM 2.034 billion
** The Top 5 Gainers: HEXTECH (25.10, +0.88); HEIM (26.50, +0.70); F&N (24.50, +0.60); NESTLE (135.50, +0.50); AJI (14.22, +0.42)
** The Top 5 Losers: KLK (21.76, -0.42); AIRPORT (7.07, -0.13); CYL (1.06, -0.12); A50CHIN-H75(0.19, -0.105); RVIEW (3.35, -0.10)
** The Top 5 Active: SAPNRG (0.05, +0.005); WELLS (0.43, +0.20); ZENTECH-OR (0.02, 0.00); REVENUE (0.75, +0.265); VELESTO (0.18, 0.005)
Singapore’s Straits Times Index (STI) shed 13.74 points or -0.42% to 3,280.01; Hong Kong’s HSI up 8.06 points or +0.04% at 21,746.72; Japan’s Nikkei 225 index slid 297.20 points or -1.14% at 25,822.32; Shanghai’s SSE Composite Index climbed 32.29 points or +1.01% at 3,227.59; Korea’s Kospi Index gained 13.77 points or +0.58% at 2,399.86; Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 Index rose 60.10 points or +0.82% at 7,388.20.
