KUALA LUMPUR, — Bursa Malaysia continued its upward momentum at midday Tuesday, supported by stronger regional markets and sustained buying interest in selected heavyweight stocks, particularly in the financial sector.
At 12:30 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 11.67 points or 0.69% to 1,692.19, compared to Monday’s closing of 1,680.52.
The benchmark index opened 10.44 points higher at 1,690.96 and moved within a range of 1,686.06 to 1,692.81 during the morning session.
Market breadth remained positive with 576 gainers against 391 losers, while 491 counters were unchanged. Turnover stood at 1.63 billion units valued at RM1.28 billion.
Regionally, most major indices posted strong gains. Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumped 2.50%, South Korea’s KOSPI surged 3.59%, Singapore’s Straits Times Index rose 0.57%, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index advanced 0.43%.
Apex Securities Bhd expects the local market to trade cautiously in the near term as investors closely monitor geopolitical developments in the Middle East, including reported US naval activity near Iran, the Strait of Hormuz, and ongoing Israel-Lebanon tensions.
Brent crude oil rose 4.37% to settle at US$99.36 per barrel amid fears of a prolonged conflict.
Among heavyweight stocks, notable gainers included:
- Maybank (+14 sen to RM11.12)
- CIMB (+15 sen to RM7.54)
- Tenaga Nasional (+10 sen to RM14.28)
- Public Bank (+6 sen to RM4.66)
- IHH Healthcare (+4 sen to RM8.75)
On the most active list, Velesto Energy slipped 1.5 sen to 33 sen, while Zetrix AI gained 1 sen to 77 sen.
Top gainers of the day were led by Fraser & Neave (+72 sen to RM29.90), Malaysian Pacific Industries (+56 sen to RM30.46), and Ajinomoto (+36 sen to RM12.50).
Meanwhile, Petronas Dagangan was among the biggest losers, falling 64 sen to RM20.66.
Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index surged 240.40 points to 19,739.29, while the Plantation Index and Energy Index ended in the red.
The FBM Top 100, FBM Emas, and FBM Mid 70 indices all recorded solid gains.
