Wednesday, May 18, 2011

FBM KLCI slips below 1,540-point level at noon

KUALA LUMPUR: The FBM KLCI slipped below the 1,540 level at the mid-day break on Wednesday, May 18 as the index pared down some of its earlier gains as market breadth turned negative with some profit taking activity.

The 30-stock index managed to remain in positive territory and was up 3.36 points to 1,539.63, lifted by gains including at index-linked PLANTATION [] and banking stocks. ''The index had earlier risen to its intra-morning high of 1,543.35.

Losers overtook gainers by 340 to 297, while 295 counters traded unchanged. Volume was 495.29 million shares valued at RM972.51 million.

The ringgit strengthened 0.63% to 3.0317 versus the greenback; crude palm oil futures for the third month delivery rose RM45 per tonne to RM3,300, crude oil gained 96 cents per barrel to US$97.87 and gold jumped US$5 an ounce to US$1,491.80.

Asia shares rose from a six-week low on Wednesday, led by consumer stocks, but disappointing U.S. data have made some investors reluctant to follow commodity prices higher, containing a bounce in risky assets from currencies to oil, according to Reuters.

At the regional markets, Japan's Nikkei 225 jumped 1.14% to 9,676.41, South Korea's Kospi rose 1.39% to 2,131.63, the Shanghai Composite Index added 0.72% to 2,873.45, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index was up 0.51% to 23,016.74, Taiwan's Taiex edged up 0.31% to 9,811.61 while Singapore's Straits Times Index was up 0.17% to 3,141.88.

On Bursa Malaysia, MAHB was the top gainer this morning and added 54 sen to RM6.64; Tradewinds, PPB and Batu Kawan rose 52 sen each to RM9.75, RM17.60 and RM16.36 respectively, Lafarge Malayan Cement and KLK added 30 sen each to RM7.49 and RM21.46, Petronas Gas 28 sen to RM11.52, Esso 19 sen to RM4.60 and Teck Guan 18 sen to 88 sen.

Among banking stocks, AMMB added five sen to RM6.45, HLFG four sen to RM11.64 and CIMB three sen to RM8.29.

Newly-listed labels maker Ideal Jacobs (M) Corporation Bhd was the most actively traded counter with 38.13 million shares done. The stock rose 25.5 sen to 52.5 sen.

Other actives included Genting, Berjaya Corp, Smartag, Axiata, CIMB, Digistar and CME.

Among the decliners this morning, BAT fell RM1.30 to RM47, Hong Leong Bank 26 sen to RM12.02, Task 25 sen to RM7.90, Panasonic 16 sen to RM23.10, Harrisons 11 sen to RM3.89, while MSC and PacificMas lost 10 sen each to RM4.75 and RM4.30.

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