Malaysian Stock Market Closes Lower

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 27 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian stock market (Bursa Malaysia) closed lower Thursday weighed down by losses in heavyweights led by Maybank and Genting. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) fell 4.89 points, or 0.29 per cent, to close at 1,669.03. The benchmark index, which opened 0.03 of-a-point higher at 1,673.95, moved between 1,666.25 and 1,674.20 throughout the day. Maybank lost 13 sen to RM7.79 and Genting fell nine sen to RM7.76. Dealers said the easier local bourse was also in tandem with some regional markets as investor sentiments were affected by the fresh round of major corporate earnings reports across the region. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index slipped 0.32 per cent to 17,336.42, Hong Kong's Hang Seng lost 0.83 per cent to 23,132.35 and the Shanghai Composite Index dipped 0132 per cent to 3,112.35. Singapore's Straits Times declined 0.03 per cent to 2,827.63. Market breath was negative with losers led gainers by 396 to 339, with 406 counters unchanged, 550 untraded and 80 others were suspended. Volume fell to 1.49 billion units worth RM1.61 billion from 1.54 billion units worth RM1.81 billion on Wednesday. On the scoreboard, the FBM Emas Index fell 23.66 points to 11,780.66 and the FBMT100 Index lost 23.77 points to 11,481.51. The FBM Ace rose 8.68 points to 5,143.93. The FBM Emas Shariah Index was 15.71 points higher at 12,422.94 and the FBM 70 added 7.05 points to 13,766.91. Sector-wise, the Finance Index was 58.12 points lower at 14,482.52, Industrial Index fell 0.30 of-a-point to 3,153.21 and the Plantation Index declined 1.66 points at 7,955.67. Of the heavyweights, Petronas Chemicals gained two sen to RM7.00, IHH Healthcare increased six sen to RM6.41 and Digi bagged one sen to RM5.03. Axiata gave up one sen to RM5.07. TNB was flat at RM14.32. Among actives, Sumatec and Hibiscus each shed two sen to six sen and 29.5 sen respectively and Nexgram decreased half-a-sen to five sen. XOX added two sen to 15 sen. Main Market turnover fell to 996.24 million units worth RM1.53 billion from 1.05 billion units worth RM1.73 billion on Wednesday. The ACE Market volume rose to 295.03 million shares valued at RM37.10 million from 211.08 million shares valued at RM30.68 million Wednesday. Warrants decreased to 197.34 million units worth RM37.10 million from 275.79 million units worth RM45.59 million previously. -- BERNAMA