Kuala Lumpur stock exchange’s benchmark KLCI today dipped 8.68 points to settle at the intraday low of 1,591.41 points, almost ten points below the 1600-point threshold.
The level at 1591.41 points is the lowest KLCI close within this week, and also the lowest in 20 trading days since Nov 25.
Throughout the trading day, the key index moved between 1591.41 points and 1606.28 points, reflecting a gap of 14.87 points. Earlier, during the half-day midday session, the key index moved within a range of 10.58 points, from 1,595.70 points to 1,606.28 points.
This morning, the key index opened marginally higher by 0.32 of a point. As at 9:11am, the index advanced 2.63 points and continued to trade up by 3.17 points as at 9:39am.
However, towards late morning, the index seemed to lose its positive momentum. As at 10:25am, the key index fell 0.63 of a point to 1,599.46 points and eventually ended the half-day session in the red, falling marginally by 0.27 of a point to 1,599.82 points, from Thursday’s close of 1,600.09 points.
Sector-wise, the Health Care Index registered the biggest sector index decline of 1.98%, settling at 2,337.41 points, followed by the Plantation Index which fell 1.17% to 7,497.27 points, along with the FBM suite of palm oil-related indices namely FBMAPUSD, FBMAPMYR, and FBMPALMOIL-NC which shed 1.34%, 1.28% and 1.34%, respectively.
Market observers noted that the glovemakers were largely responsible for the decline seen in the healthcare sector. Top Glove Corporation Bhd slid eight sen to RM1.32, Supermax Corporation Bhd slipped four sen to RM1.20, Hartalega Holdings Bhd shed three sen to RM3.91, Kossan Rubber Industries Bhd gave up one sen to RM2.73, and lastly, Hextar Healthcare Bhd trimmed half of a sen to RM0.18
United Plantations Bhd was the top decliner which shed a massive RM1.32, or nearly 4.0%, to close at RM31.82 on a turnover of 2,352,000 shares/units.
The Construction Index was the top advancing index gaining 1.02% to close at 305.27 points, followed by the REIT Index which added 0.79% to settle at 864.65 points.
Sunway Construction Group Bhd advanced 18 sen, settling at RM4.72, while industrial listing dealing with construction materials Malayan Cement Bhd added 17 sen to close at RM5.01.
The Utilities Index also surged 0.59% to 1,758.59 points.
Correspondingly, the YTL utilities duo were the most actively traded Main board counters today. YTL Corporation Bhd rose three sen to close at RM2.79 after registering a trading turnover of 120,900,700 shares/units. YTL Power International Bhd, meanwhile, added six sen to settle at RM4.14 on a volume of 73,324,200 shares/units.
Consumer listing PPB Group Bhd was the top gainer, surging 26 sen to close at RM12.14.
Gas station retailer Petronas Dagangan Bhd lost 84 sen, or 4.2%, to settle at RM19.02 on a turnover of 673,800 shares/units. Technology stock Malaysian Pacific Industries Bhd gave up 80 sen, or 3.1%, settling at RM25.20 after recording a volume of 200,400 shares/units.
Notably, Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd, a transportation listing, shed 14 sen to close at RM10.50 on a turnover of 10,769,700 shares/units.
On the broader market, decliners outnumbered gainers by 552 to 462, while 522 counters were untraded, 937 untraded.
Exchange-wide volume increased to 3.34 billion (3,398,003,400) shares/units valued at RM3.77 billion (RM3,766,854,546), from 3.20 billion shares/units valued at RM3.03 billion.
