The benchmark KLCI of Kuala Lumpur stock exchange at midday fell 3.82 points to 1,604.93 points, from Friday’s close of 1,608.75 points.
Throughout the half-day session, the benchmark 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. As at 9:07am, the key index went up 0.54 of a point to reach 1,609.29 points. Owing to selling pressure, the index declined and lost 3.33 points to 1,605.42 points as at 9:30am.
During the half-day session, the Technology Index at one point surged 1.55%. Main board’s technology listing Vitrox Corporation Bhd at one point 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.
My E.G. Services Bhd, also a Main board-listed technology stock, was the most active counter at midday, recording a turnover of 52,138,000 shares/units, rising 1.5 sen to RM0.96.
At midday, the technology sector index added just 0.31% to 63.90 points.
The Health Care Index recorded the biggest decline of all the exchange-maintained sector indices at midday, retreating 1.50% to 2,298.65 points, followed by the Utilities Index which gave up 1.12% to 1,674.65 points.
As at 12:14pm, utilities firm YTL Corporation Bhd traded at RM2.14, after losing three sen and recording a volume of 4,214,700 shares/units. YTL Power International Bhd, also a utilities listing, traded at RM3.60 as at 12:15pm, losing nine sen on a turnover of 7,578,800 shares/units.
In today’s listing transfer to the Ace market, Topvision Eye Specialist Bhd opened at RM0.39 per share, reflecting an 18.18% premium over its listing price of RM0.33. The price of Topvision’s shares at one point surged to the high of RM0.40, nearly at par with the fair market valuation of RM0.42 derived by Rakuten earlier. Topvision’s counter traded at RM0.355, up 2.5 sen as at 12:30pm on a turnover of 48,282,400 shares/units, and was also ranked the second most traded stock.
Construction listing Gamuda Bhd was among midday decliners, shedding 22 sen to RM9.55 on a turnover of 3,684,500 shares/units.
Main board’s industrial listing Sam Engineering & Equipment (Malaysia) Bhd was the top gainer at midday, advancing 18 sen to RM4.33 on a volume of 498,700 shares/units.
Foodstuff supplier Nestle (Malaysia) Bhd was the top decliner, trimming RM1.30 to RM98.70 on a moderate turnover of 36 lots. (1 lot = 100 shares)
At midday, decliners outnumbered gainers by 624 to 335, while 472 counters were unchanged, 1,044 untraded.
The half-day trading turnover amounted to over 1.91 billion (1,912,176,100) valued at more than RM1.15 billion (RM1,150,881,695).
