Kuala Lumpur, — Bursa Malaysia maintained its positive momentum during Wednesday’s midday trading session, moving in tandem with stronger regional markets. The main catalyst was positive progress in US-Iran peace talks, which boosted investor sentiment.
At 12:30pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 10.65 points or 0.61% to 1,758.08, compared to yesterday’s closing of 1,747.43. The index opened higher by 1.65 points at 1,749.08 and traded within a range of 1,746.80 to 1,760.12 during the morning session.
Market breadth remained positive with 637 gainers against 445 losers, while 552 counters were unchanged. Trading volume stood at 2.17 billion units valued at RM1.70 billion.
Key Drivers
Hong Leong Investment Bank Bhd (HLIB) noted that positive sentiment from Wall Street overnight, combined with improving technical momentum after the FBM KLCI broke above its long-term uptrend line, supported the gains.
“The index is expected to continue rising, underpinned by expectations of strong first-quarter 2026 corporate earnings across the banking, utilities, energy, and healthcare sectors, along with healthy domestic liquidity and supportive macroeconomic conditions,” said HLIB.
As a net energy exporter, Malaysia is also better cushioned against high oil prices compared to some regional peers. However, market sentiment remains headline-driven.
Top Performers & Movers
- Heavyweights: Maybank rose 2 sen to RM11.22, Public Bank and CIMB gained 3 sen each to RM4.78 and RM7.92 respectively. Tenaga Nasional was unchanged at RM14.80, while IHH Healthcare slipped 3 sen to RM8.80.
- Most Active: YTL Corp surged 22 sen to RM2.31.
- Top Gainers: Malaysian Pacific Industries jumped RM3.56 to RM41.06, Unisem and Dutch Lady rose 30 sen each.
- Notable Losers: Nestle fell 80 sen to RM100.90, Fraser & Neave declined 74 sen.
Other Indices
- FBM Emas: +77.12 points to 12,964.46
- FBM Top 100: +77.52 points to 12,809.14
- FBM Emas Shariah: +71.26 points to 12,937.81
- FBM Mid 70: +110.88 points to 18,380.36
- FBM ACE: +15.16 points to 4,616.23
Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index rose strongly by 67.75 points, while Energy and Plantations indices saw slight pressure.
Technically, immediate support levels are seen at 1,700, 1,710, and 1,730, with resistance at 1,754 and 1,771.
The market is expected to remain sensitive to global geopolitical developments, particularly updates on Iran and their impact on oil prices and investor sentiment.
