Share prices end mixed, KLCI up

KUALA LUMPUR: Share prices on Bursa Malaysia ended mixed yesterday amid sustained interest in selective heavyweights, said dealers.

The Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (KLCI) edged up 4.5 points or 0.49 percent to close at 923.57, pushed by gains mostly in Sime Darby and Maybank.

It opened 0.33 of a point higher at 919.4.

According to MIMB Investment Bank, the market is expected to remain volatile in the near-term as it digested the deep global economic recession, global credit and banking crisis and the extraordinary policy responses.

It also pointed out that the United States December jobs data released last Friday had been hanging over the market like a dark cloud throughout the week.

“Thus, without fresh leads, the market will take its cue, initially from the overnight performance on Wall Street and later progress along with regional market trends,” it said in a research note.

The Industrial Index went up 4.88 points to 2,131.9, the Finance Index surged 69.63 points to 7,358.06 while the Plantation Index dropped 3.01 points to 4,558.0.

The FBMEmas added 25.7 points to 6,044.19, the FBM30 rose 24.28 points to 5,947.58, the FBMMesdaq decreased 26.320 points to 3,354.48 and the FBM2BRD eased 3.28 points to 3,984.76.

Gainers led losers by 231 to 214 while 224 counters were unchanged, 582 untraded and 29 others suspended.

Volume rose to 574.572 million shares worth RM896.536 million compared to last Friday’s close of 414.903 million shares valued at RM605.903 million.

The volume on the Main Board yesterday increased to 511.633 million shares worth RM685.033 million compared to last Friday’s close of 355.230 million units valued at RM596.406 million.

Turnover on the Second Board rose to 19.942 million units worth RM5.927 million from 26.651 million units worth RM4.969 million previously.

The volume on the Mesdaq market went up 14.3 million shares valued at RM3.321 million from last Friday’s close of 6.509 million units valued at RM1.997 million.

Warrants increased to 26.720 million shares valued at RM1.656 million from 24.345 million shares worth RM1.824 million previously.

For the top gainers, Tanjong moved 50 sen to RM14.20, Petronas Dagangan rose 30 sen to RM7.70 and Public Bank increased 20 sen to RM9.00.

For the actives, KNM was flat at 50.5 sen, UEM Land increased five sen to 76.5 sen and Tebrau Teguh went up 3.5 sen to 51.5 sen.

As for the heavyweights, Sime Darby rose five sen to RM5.50 while Tenaga Nasional eased 10 sen to RM6.50 and Maybank increased 10 sen to RM5.70. Bumiputra-Commerce and IOI Corp were flat at RM7.00 and RM4.00 each, respectively.

On a sectoral basis, consumer products accounted for 5.846 million shares traded on the Main Board, industrial products 96.597 million, construction 50.12 million, trade/services 152.706 million, technology 11.620 million, infrastructure 10.844 million, finance 25.861 million, hotels 956,700, properties 135.105 million, plantations 20.025 million, mining nil, REITs 1.917 million and closed/fund 33,400.