Malaysian stock exchange’s benchmark composite index today shed 1.90 points to settle at 1,606.85 points, from Friday’s close of 1,608.75 points.
Throughout the day, the benchmark index moved within a range of 6.22 points, from 1,603.21 points to 1,609.43 points. By comparison, at midday, the key index fluctuated within a range of 5.51 points, from the low of 1,603.92 points to the high of 1,609.43 points.
This morning, the key index opened marginally lower at 1,608.66 points, then went up slightly by 0.54 of a point to reach 1,609.29 points as at 9:07am. In less than half an hour, the key index declined and lost 3.33 points to 1,605.42 points as at 9:30am.
Towards midday, the index continued to fall, losing 3.82 points to 1,604.93 points at the conclusion of the half-day session.
Sector-wise, the Health Care Index was the top decliner index, losing 1.01% to settle at 2,310.09 points. At midday, the health sector index already dipped 1.50% to 2,298.65 points, owing to profit taking in health care stocks such as glovemakers. At closing, Top Glove Corporation Bhd lost six sen to close at RM1.35, Kossan Rubber Industries Bhd decreased four sen to settle at RM2.61, and Hartalega Holdings Bhd gave up six sen to RM3.82.
Healthcare support services provider Umedic Group Bhd lost 3.5 sen to close at RM0.625 while pharmaceutical firm Y.S.P. Southeast Asia Holding Bhd lost three sen, settling at RM2.30.
Pharmaceutical firm Kotra Industries Bhd, however, traded up today, adding nine sen to settle at RM4.58.
The Construction Index retreated 0.98% to settle at 304.05 points.
Meanwhile, the Technology Index today recorded the biggest surge of 0.99% to close at 64.33 points, followed by the Plantation Index which increased 0.24% to settle at 7,653.74 points.
Notably, the Technology Index at one point surged 1.55% during the early sessions where Main board’s technology listing Vitrox Corporation Bhd rallied more than 7.00% to RM4.09, rising 28 sen. As at 12:30pm, Vitrox retreated and advanced just 11 sen to RM3.92 on a turnover of 2,526,600 shares/units. At closing, Vitrox was the fourth-ranking gainer, climbing 19 sen, or nearly 5.00%, intraday to settle at RM4.00 on a volume of 5,245,300 shares/units.
The palm oil-related FBM indices, ended the day mixed. The non-capped index, FBMPALMOIL-NC, gave up 0.45% to end the day at 12,585.95 points. The ringgit denominated index (FBMAPMYR) and the US dollar-denominated index (FBMAPUSD) both declined marginally by 0.03% and 0.09%, respectively.
My E.G. Services Bhd, a Main board-listed technology stock, was the most active counter at closing and at midday. The total turnover of My E.G. stood at 67,241,200 shares/units as at 5:00pm, as the stock price advanced one and a half sen to RM0.96.
JCY International Bhd, also a technology listing, was the second most traded counter for the day which added three sen to settle at RM0.515 on a turnover of 65,821,600 shares/units.
The Ace market’s latest addition, Topvision Eye Specialist Bhd, opened higher at RM0.39 per share this morning, six sen above its listing price of RM0.33. During the first half-day session, the stock at one point surged to the high of RM0.40 but retreated to RM0.355 at midday, adding just 2.5 sen on a turnover of 48,282,400 shares/units. At closing, Topvision added one sen intraday to settle at RM0.34 after registering the third highest turnover for the day totalled at 53,434,600 shares/units.
On the broader market, decliners outnumbered gainers by 624 to 335, while 472 counters were unchanged, 1,044 untraded and 16 suspended.
Exchange-wide turnover increased to 3.16 billion (3,160,517,600) shares/units worth RM2.45 billion (RM2,454,380,128) from 2.79 billion (2,785,135,650) shares/units valued at RM2.40 billion (RM2,401,580,453) recorded last Friday.
