The stock market ended the trading session on a mixed note, with strong speculative activity in small- and mid-cap counters offset by weakness in several heavyweight consumer and plantation stocks.
At the closing bell, sentiment was uneven as investors rotated between profit-taking in defensive names and active trading in industrial and lower-priced stocks, leading to divergent performance across sectors.
Leading the gainers was Hong Leong Industries Bhd, which rose 66 sen to RM19.14 on 270,800 shares traded. Petronas Dagangan Bhd followed up 36 sen to RM18.64 on 131,000 shares, as selective buying returned to energy distribution counters.
KLCC Property Holdings Bhd added 32 sen to RM9.38 on 173,900 shares, while Press Metal Aluminium Holdings Bhd climbed 32 sen to RM8.52 on a heavy 1,972,560 shares, reflecting sustained trading interest in industrial metals.
The most actively traded counter was SUM Technology Bhd, which surged 24.5 sen to 52.5 sen on exceptionally heavy volume of 19,369,780 shares, driven by strong speculative participation in lower-priced stocks.
On the downside, Nestlé (Malaysia) Bhd led the decliners, falling RM1.66 to RM95.14 on 1,364 shares, as profit-taking weighed on defensive consumer counters. Malaysian Pacific Industries Bhd (MPI) slipped 74 sen to RM48.56 on 342,300 shares, tracking weakness in semiconductor-related stocks.
Paragon Union Bhd dropped 58 sen to RM1.71 on heavy turnover of 1,818,090 shares, reflecting volatility in mid-cap industrial names. Concrete Engineering Products Bhd declined 45 sen to RM3.71 on 4,770 lots, while United Plantations Bhd eased 42 sen to RM31.80 on 241,700 shares.
Market analysts noted that the session reflected a clear divergence between speculative small-cap activity and profit-taking in large-cap defensive and industrial stocks. Overall breadth remained mixed, with volatility concentrated in select heavily traded counters.
