KUALA LUMPUR, March 17 ― Bursa Malaysia remained lower at mid-morning on weak market sentiment due to overnight losses on key global markets and the nationwide movement control order from tomorrow until end-March.
At 11.10am, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) lost 34.87 points to 1,245.76 from Monday's close of 1,280.63, after opening 63.35 points lower at 1,217.28 this morning.
On the broader market, losers beat gainers 762 to 126, with 217 counters unchanged, 911 untraded and 17 others suspended.
Turnover amounted to 1.97 billion shares worth RM1.37 billion.
On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 2,997.10 points, or 12.9 per cent, to settle at 20,188.52, which saw circuit breakers temporarily halt trading for 15 minutes, while the S&P 500 index declined 324.89 points, or 12 per cent, to end at 2,386.13 and the Nasdaq Composite Index shed 970.28 points, or 12.3 per cent, to finish at 6,904.59.
Closer to home, Singapore's Straits Times Index declined 0.88 per cent to 2,473.87, the Jakarta Composite Index fell 4.37 per cent to 4,485.46 and Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.46 per cent to 16,923.34.
Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd said it expects to see more downside pressure on the FBM KLCI with Wall Street and regional markets declining.
“We expect the next support at the 1,200 mark,” it said in a note today.
Among heavyweights on Bursa Malaysia, Maybank decreased six sen to RM7.23, Tenaga erased 30 sen to RM11, Public Bank fell 50 sen to RM14 and IHH was 30 sen weaker at RM4.70.
Of the actives, Sapura Energy eased half-a-sen to nine sen, while Hisbiscus Petroleum and Bumi Armada were flat at 30.5 sen and 13.5 sen, respectively.
On the index board, the FBM Emas Index depreciated 253.11 points to 8,536.25, the FBM Emas Shariah Index depressed 235.05 points to 9,275.28 and the FBM 70 contracted 316.68 points to 9,787.04.
The FBMT 100 Index shed 244.84 points to 8,463.67 and the FBM Ace dropped 177.70 points to 3,604.07.
Sector-wise, the Industrial Products and Services Index inched down 5.92 points to 97.76, the Financial Services Index gave up 381.07 points to 11,514.22 and the Plantation Index slipped 106.20 points to 5,730.17. ― Bernama