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KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia opened higher on Friday, tracking gains across regional markets, as a stronger ringgit improved market sentiment amid a firmer overnight performance on Wall Street.
At 9.10am, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 3.09 points, or 0.19%, to 1,649.99 from Thursday’s close of 1,646.90.
The index had opened 1.15 points higher at 1,648.05.
Market breadth was positive, with 187 gainers outnumbering 110 losers. A further 299 counters were unchanged, while 2,182 were untraded and 16 suspended.
Turnover amounted to 151.83 million shares valued at RM72.55 million.
Regionally, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index gained 0.12% to 25,498.13, Japan&#8217;s Nikkei 225 Index increased 0.93% to 49,459.35, South Korea’s Kospi Index edged up 0.33% to 4,007.65, while Singapore’s Straits Times Index was 0.11% lower at 4,570.61.
Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice-president of equity research Thong Pak Leng believes the strengthening ringgit, currently trading around RM4.08 against the US dollar, may attract fresh foreign fund inflows.
“As such, we expect the benchmark index to hover within the 1,645–1,660 range today,” he added.
At 8am, the ringgit strengthened to 4.0820/4.0940 against the US dollar from 4.0840/4.0880 at Thursday’s close.
Thong also noted that Wall Street closed firmer overnight after November’s US Consumer Price Index (CPI) came in below expectations, brightening prospects for further interest rate cuts.
“Alongside recent weak job data, many foresee the US Federal Reserve will continue with its easing policy,” he added.
Among the heavyweights, Maybank gained four sen to RM10.34, Public Bank rose three sen to RM4.44, CIMB and Tenaga Nasional were flat at RM7.88 and RM13.30, respectively, while IHH Healthcare added one sen to RM8.51.
On the most active list, Velesto and Pharmaniaga were unchanged at 28 sen and 26 sen, respectively. Omesti inched down half-a-sen to eight sen, while Insight Analytics advanced 4.5 sen to 99 sen and Magma inched up half-a-sen to 36.5 sen.
Top gainers included Fraser and Neave, which climbed 28 sen to RM35.88, United Malacca added 15 sen to RM5.89, Petronas Dagangan rose 14 sen to RM19.54, Nestle gained 10 sen to RM116, and AEON Credit bagged seven sen to RM5.62.
Among the top losers, United Plantations fell 24 sen to RM29.48, while Petronas Chemicals and Negri Sembilan Oil Palms each lost five sen to RM3.52 and RM5.75, respectively. Solarvest and Press Metal Aluminium were four sen lower at RM3.16 and RM6.96, respectively.
On the index board, the FBM Emas Index was 19.95 points higher to 12,137.44, the FBMT 100 Index gained 20.06 points to 11,929.72, the FBM ACE Index garnered 9.11 points to 4,788.10, the FBM Emas Shariah Index strengthened 17.55 points to 11,994.79, and the FBM 70 Index increased 18.02 points to 16,733.67.
Sector-wise, the Plantation Index expanded 13.60 points to 8,248.51, the Financial Services Index perked up 41.36 points to 19,196.41, while the Energy Index shed 1.87 points to 763.0, and the Industrial Products and Services Index edged down 0.50 points to 170.41.

MatchPoint Times

Bursa opens higher on stronger ringgit, regional gains

The main index rises 3.09 points to 1,649.99 on improved market sentiment after a firmer Wall Street close.

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