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19th March, 2010
KUALA LUMPUR: Share prices on Bursa Malaysia were mixed at close Thursday with investors reluctant to take heavy positions ahead of the US inflation and employment data to be released later Thursday, dealers said.
At 5pm, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (FBM KLCI) dropped 0.01 of a point to 1,301.94 after opening 4.73 points higher at 1,306.68 in the morning.
One of the dealers said that most investors were on the sidelines, waiting for some key data from the United States for further indications on the health of the world’s largest economy.
Besides that, investors were also cautious on renewed concern about credit tightening in China after the country’s regulators asked banks to control the pace of their lending, he said.
However, interest in Astro has kept the local market from further losses after the company announced its plan to go private. Astro jumped 67 sen to close at RM4.23.
The pay-TV operator has received a conditional takeover offer from Astro Holdings Bhd to acquire the remaining shares that it did not own for RM4.30 per share.
At close of Thursday’s trading, the Finance Index dropped 25.65 points to 11,554.83 and the Industrial Index declined 3.92 points to 2,634.15.
However, the Plantation Index increased 7.48 points to 6,390.13, the FBM Emas Index rose 1.76 points to 8,758.22 and the FBM70 went up 11.69 points to 8,582.28.
The FBM ACE Index, however, fell 39.90 points to 4,179.55.
Losers outnumbered gainers by 364 to 302 while 279 counters were flat, 402 untraded and 30 others suspended.
In moderate trading, turnover was lower at 677.371 million shares worth RM1.217 billion compared to Wednesday’s 741.843 million shares valued at RM1.218 billion.
Among the heavyweights, Maybank rose one sen to RM7.30 while Sime Darby and Maxis dropped one sen each to RM8.53 and RM5.27 respectively and CIMB declined six sen to RM13.52.
For the actives, Measat Global was down five sen to RM2.60 while Nam Fatt and KNM rose half sen each to 11.5 sen and 79 sen respectively.
Turnover on the Main Market declined to 600.621 million shares valued at RM1.198 billion from 638.658 million shares valued at RM1.193 billion Wednesday.
The ACE Market volume fell to 40.863 million shares worth RM6.147 million from 59.609 million shares worth RM8.052 million previously.
Warrants dropped to 24.789 million units valued at RM4.352 million from 30.232 million units valued at RM4.736 million Wednesday.
Consumer products accounted for 40.588 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products 127.514 million, construction 64.049 million, trade and services 191.381 million, technology 46.945 million, infrastructure 16.306 million, finance 33.442 million, hotels 5.542 million, properties 56.528 million, plantations 16.046 million, mining 8,000, REITs 1.790 million, and closed/fund 478,700.
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