Wednesday, June 29, 2011

FBM KLCI pares down gains; MSM falls on profit-taking

KUALA LUMPUR: The FBM KLCI pared down some of its gains at the mid-day break on Wednesday, June 29 as investors turned cautious ahead of the parliamentary vote in Greece and US employment data this week, while MSM Holdings Bhd shares succumbed to profit-taking.

The FBM KLCI rose 2.84 points to 1,572.86 at 12.30pm, lifted by gains including at banking and select blue chips. The index had earlier risen to its intra-morning high of 1,575.81.

Gainers led losers by 348 to 281, while 304 counters traded unchanged. Volume was 556 million shares valued at RM711.71 million.

The ringgit strengthened 0.28% to 3.0400 versus the US dollar; crude oil added 15 cents per barrel to US$93.04 and gold rose US$3.30 an ounce to US$1,504.70.

Palm oil advanced for the first day in five, rebounding from the lowest close in eight months, after the condition of the US soybean crop deteriorated, boosting prices of the oilseed that's crushed to make a rival product. At 12.30pm, crude palm oil futures for the third month delivery rose RM47 per tonne to RM3,110.

Growing market confidence that the Greek parliament will approve the austerity programme, and that a French plan to rollover Greek sovereign bonds will help avert a default, lifted most Asian stocks, according to Reuters.

Greek lawmakers will vote Wednesday and Thursday on a five-year package of spending cuts, tax increases and privatisation in order to secure the next 12 billion euro slice of aid in July.

Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 1.07% to 9,751.74, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index added 0.32% to 22,131.87, Taiwan's Taiex added 0.94% to 8,558.71, South Korea's Kospi jumped 1.38% to 2,091.31 and Singapore's Straits Times Index edged up 0.48% to 3,065.48.

Meanwhile, the Shanghai Composite Index shed 0.43% to 2,747.38.

Among the gainers this morning, Shell was up 20 sen to RM10.50, Petronas Gas six sen to RM13.26, BAT 10 sen to RM46.20, Warisan 17 sen to RM2.60, Malayan Flour Mills 14 sen to RM7.90, Far East, Aturmaju and Parkson added 10 sen each to RM7.35, 89 sen and RM6.05 respectively, while APM Automotive was up nine sen to RM4.88.

Banking stocks also rose, with Hong Leong Bank up 18 sen to RM13.10, Maybank up five sen to RM8.94 while HLFG and Public Bank added two sen each to RM13 and RM13.24.

Profit-taking saw MSM falling 10 sen to RM4.79 with 10.8 million shares done in active trade.

Other actives included MAA, TMS, KBB, Kurnia Asia, LBS, UEM Land, HWGB and Lion Corp.

Among the decliners, TGL fell 20 sen to RM1.40, YTL Cement 15 sen to RM5.20, DiGi 12 sen to RM28.70, LTKM 11 sen to RM1.94, EPIC 10 sen to RM2.50 while UMS and BLD PLANTATION []s fell nine sen each to RM1.68 and RM6.80.

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