Bursa Malaysia closed at its intraday high on Aug 12 as buying interest in utility and petrochemical counters lifted the benchmark index, supported by elevated crude oil prices.
At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) gained 10.15 points, or 0.59%, to 1,741.61 from 1,731.46. The index traded between 1,728.64 and 1,741.61 before finishing at the day’s peak.
The broader market was also firmer as the FBM70 rose 37.89 points, or 0.21%, to 18,435.81, while the F4GBM climbed 5.79 points, or 0.56%, to 1,048.25. The FBM Emas advanced 64.47 points, or 0.50%, to 12,918.70, while the FBM Shariah added 66.70 points, or 0.53%, to 12,770.88.
Dagang NeXchange Bhd was the most actively traded counter, gaining 3.5 sen to 53 sen after moving between 49 sen and 54.5 sen, with 150.77 million shares changing hands.
Nexgram Holdings Bhd added half a sen to six sen on 109 million shares, while Zetrix AI Bhd gained 2.5 sen to 74 sen on 82.15 million shares.
Top Glove Corp Bhd edged up half a sen to 66.5 sen on 490,617 lots, while VS Industry Bhd slipped half a sen to 24 sen on 455,335 lots.
The stronger finish, particularly in heavyweight utilities and petrochemical-related counters, helped push the local benchmark firmly above the 1,740-point level at the close.
Trading activity strengthened, with turnover rising to 3.70 billion units worth RM3.27 billion, compared with 3.43 billion units valued at RM2.94 billion on Aug 11.
