KUALA LUMPUR, March 18 — Bursa Malaysia was lower at mid-afternoon, in line with regional markets on weak market sentiment due to worries over the economic fallout from Covid-19 pandemic.
At 3.17pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) erased 20.21 points or 1.60 per cent to 1,236.37 from yesterday’s close of 1,256.58, after opening 2.15 points easier at 1,254.43 this morning.
On the broader market, losers edged gainers 709 to 208, with 216 counters unchanged, 883 untraded and 16 others suspended.
Turnover amounted to 2.24 billion shares worth RM1.75 billion.
On the regional front, Singapore’s Straits Times Index fell 0.6 per cent to 2,439.78, the Jakarta Composite Index declined 3.09 per cent t0 4,318.90 and South Korea’s KOSPI Composite Index fell 4.86 per cent to 1,591.20.
On the heavyweights, Maybank lost two sen to RM7.34, Tenaga added 12 sen to RM11.36, Public Bank decreased 74 sen to RM13.16 and IHH went up eight sen to RM4.76.
Of the actives, Borneo Oil was flat at 1.5 sen, while Bumi Armada and Dagang Nexchange were each 1.5 sen weaker at 12.5 sen and 7.5 sen, respectively.
Meanwhile, ACE Market debutant, electrical products and accessories distributor ACO Group Bhd, declined 8.5 sen to 19.5 sen with 42.056 million shares traded.
At the opening bell, it declined eight sen over its issue price of 28 sen with 6,000 shares traded.
On the index board, the FBM Emas Index erased 161.18 points to 8,465.60, the FBM Emas Shariah Index dipped 120.89 points to 9,240.15 and the FBM 70 shed 229.16 points to 9,715.26.
The FBMT 100 Index gave up 150.39 points to 8,400.23 and the FBM Ace depreciated 162.34 points to 3,459.75.
Sector-wise, the Industrial Products and Services Index inched down 3.30 points to 98.84, the Plantation Index decreased 102.75 points to 5,586.89 and the Financial Services Index gave up 251.81 points to 11,410.67. — Bernama