At closing, Kuala Lumpur stock exchange’s benchmark KLCI advanced 4.65 points to settle at 1,642.33 points, from Monday’s close of 1,637.68 points, surpassing the 1640-mark for the first time since Oct 23.
Market observers noted that the strong ending on the last day of year 2024 was driven by the surge of IHH Healthcare Bhd and telecommunication service provider Axiata Group Bhd towards closing. IHH added seven sen to close at RM7.30 on a volume of 2,537,400 shares/units while Axiata rallied ten sen, or as much as 4.18%, ending the day at RM2.49, recording a trading turnover of 19,695,500 shares/units.
Throughout the trading day, the index fluctuated from the low of 1,632.85 points to the high of 1,644.54 points, reflecting a gap of 11.69 points. Earlier, during the half-day session, the key index moved within a narrow range of 5.58 points between the intraday low of 1,632.85 points and 1,638.43 points.
This morning, the key index opened 0.75 of a point higher to reach 1,638.43 points. As at 9:03am, the benchmark KLCI retreated marginally by 0.39 of a point, down to 1,637.29 points. Towards late morning, the market sentiment took a negative turn, sending the index down by 2.37 points to 1,635.31 points as at 11:09am. At the conclusion of the half-day session at 12:30pm, the key index gave up 3.4 points to 1,634.28 points.
Sector-wise, the transportation, property and consumer are the top three best-performing sectors where the associated indices, namely, the Transportation & Logistics Index, the Property Index and the Consumer Products & Services surged 0.67%, 0.50% and 0.42%, respectively. At closing, the Transportation & Logistics Index settled at 1,067.19 points, the Property Index at 1,133.72 points, and the Consumer Products & Services at 549.49 points.
UEM Sunrise Bhd, Main market-listed property firm, climbed two sen, or 1.89%, to end the day at RM1.08. Property firm SP Setia Bhd also traded up by two sen, or 1.39%, to settle at RM1.46.
Notably, MUI Properties Bhd, the most traded counter at midday, continued to be actively traded towards closing, recording a volume of 52,089,700 shares/units, up from midday’s trading turnover of 47,005,600 shares/units. At midday, the shares of MUI Properties shed six sen, or 13.79%, down to RM0.375. Towards closing, MUI Properties traded further down by half of a sen, losing 6.5 sen intraday to close at RM0.37, losing 14.94%.
Consumer listing Genting Bhd advanced seven sen, or 1.85%, closing at RM3.86. Genting Malaysia Bhd, also listed under the consumer category, surged three sen, or 1.35%, to close at RM2.26.
Sime Darby Bhd which has operations related to equipment and automobile, advanced three sen, or 1.29% to end the day at RM2.36. Bermaz Auto Bhd increased three sen, or 1.91%, to close at RM1.60
Consumer hardware retailer Mr D.I.Y. Group (Malaysia) Bhd rose two sen, or 1.09%, to settle at RM1.85. However, mnimarket operator 99 Speed Mart Retail Holdings Bhd shed four sen, or 1.59%, to settle at RM2.47.
Consumer listing Apollo Food Holdings Bhd was the top gainer today, surging 33 sen, or 5.18%, to settle at RM6.70 on a volume of 81,300 shares/units.
Hong Leong affiliated stocks, Hong Leong Financial Group Bhd and Hong Leong Industries both increased 20 sen to occupy the fourth and fifth spots of the gainers’ chart. Hong Leong Financial settled at RM18.50, recording a volume of 205,500 shares/units, while consumer listing Hong Leong Industries closed at RM14.30, registering a turnover of 119,100 shares/units.
Meanwhile, the Construction Index recorded the biggest sectoral index decline, shedding 0.90% to close at 308.46 points, followed by the Energy Index which gave up 0.44% to 822.93 points, and the Telecommunications & Media Index which declined marginally by 0.16% to end the day at 543.80 points.
Main board’s construction listing Azam Jaya Bhd added eight sen, or 7.21%, to settle at RM1.19. However, IJM Corporation Bhd, a construction listing, shed six sen, or 1.94%, to end the day at RM3.04. Gamuda Bhd decreased four sen to settle at RM4.74.
Telecommunications companies (Telcos) Telekom Malaysia Bhd and CelcomDigi Bhd were among top decliners. Telekom Malaysia was the top decliner which slumped 15 sen, or 2.21%, to settle at RM6.65 on a volume of 2,613,100 shares/units. Mobile service provider CelcomDigi slipped eight sen, or 2.16%, settling at RM3.62 and recording a turnover of 2,730,200 shares/units. Nevertheless, Maxis Bhd moved up four sen, or 1.11%, closing at RM3.65.
Glovemakers were among top performers. Kossan Rubber Industries Bhd rose five sen, or 1.80% to close at RM2.83. Top Glove Corporation Bhd declined three sen, or 2.19%, closing at RM1.34.
Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd, an industrial stock, rallied seven sen, or 1.37%, ending the day at RM5.17. Meanwhile, Aumas Resources Bhd, ACE market’s industrial listing, trimmed three sen, or 3.61%, settling at RM0.80.
Utilities stock YTL Power International Bhd gained five sen, or 1.14%, settling at RM4.42. Leading utilities counter Tenaga Nasional Bhd surged ten sen to close at RM14.94.
On the broader market, decliners outnumbered gainers by a slight margin – 515 to 485, while 550 counters were unchanged, and 839 untraded.
The full-day trading volume decreased to nearly 2.41 billion (2,409,182,700) shares/units valued at over RM2.06 billion (RM2,063,359,818), from over 2.55 billion (2,552,581,600) shares/units valued at nearly RM2.09 billion (RM2.085,296,930) recorded on Monday.
