Bursa Malaysia opened largely unchanged, with the FBM KLCI edging lower in early trade as weakness in energy counters offset mild gains across broader market indices.
As at 9.30am, the FBM KLCI was down 0.63 points at 1,681.50, after opening at 1,684.45. The index traded within a tight range between 1,680.83 and 1,685.17, reflecting a cautious start to the session.
Broader market performance was slightly more stable. The FBMT100 rose 5.61 points, or 0.05%, to 12,313.90, while the FBM EMAS added 5.12 points to 12,479.78. The FBM 70 index climbed 51.56 points, or 0.29%, to 17,938.82, suggesting continued interest in mid-cap stocks.
Small-cap benchmarks were mixed. The FBMSCAP slipped 3.43 points to 15,419.35, while BMQ and BMQS edged higher, gaining 2.65 points and 2.50 points respectively.
Sector performance was similarly mixed in early trade. Consumer Products and Services edged up 0.13%, while Construction was nearly flat with a marginal 0.01% gain. Energy counters were the main laggard, falling 0.26% as profit-taking weighed on the sector.
Among the most active stocks, PHB led trading volumes but remained unchanged at 0.005. TALIWRK gained 0.005 to 0.355, while AAX slipped 0.02 to 1.280. GIIB was steady at 0.435, and DNEX eased 0.005 to 0.435.
On the gainers’ board, MPI led with a rise of 0.44 to 47.32, followed by MI up 0.11 to 4.71. DUFU, CVIEW and KESM also posted modest gains.
On the downside, PMETAL led the losers, falling 0.25 to 8.04. Nestle, UTDPLT, PCHEM and PJBUMI also slipped in early trade.
