The stock market movement ended the trading session with a weak market breadth, as decliners significantly outnumbered gainers, underscoring cautious sentiment across the board.
Losers led gainers 705 to 422, while 521 counters were unchanged, 1,042 untraded and 14 suspended, reflecting subdued participation despite selective buying in blue-chip and defensive names.
Heavy selling pressure was seen in consumer and industrial stocks, with Concrete Engineering Products Bhd leading the top losers list, plunging 95 sen to RM3.95 on 172,300 lots traded. Nestlé (M) Bhd follows next as the counter slipped 66 sen to RM93.78, while Fraser & Neave Holdings Bhd fell 52 sen to RM25.78. Ajinomoto (M) Bhd declined 40 sen to RM15.08 and KESM Industries Bhd dropped 32 sen to RM3.73 on relatively active trading.
Despite the broader weakness, select counters posted gains. Heineken Malaysia Bhd rose 38 sen to RM19.42, while Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd advanced 36 sen to RM20.48 on strong turnover of nearly 598,300 shares. Carlsberg Brewery Malaysia Bhd gained 24 sen to RM16.46, with Allianz Malaysia Bhd up 16 sen to RM20.96.
Among the top gainers, VSTECS Bhd stood out, climbing 15 sen to RM1.98 on heavy volume of more than 7.4 million shares, reflecting continued retail and thematic interest.
Market analysts said the session reflected profit-taking and selective repositioning, with defensive buying unable to offset broader selling pressure across the market.
