Bursa Malaysia ended lower on Thursday amid continued selling pressure, tracking a mixed and cautious Wall Street performance overnight.
At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) fell20.81points, or 1.26%, to 1,630.36 from yesterday’s close of 1,651.17.
The benchmark index, whichopened 1.30 points weaker at 1,649.87,moved between 1,630.10 and 1,649.87throughout the trading session.
Market breadth was also negative, with decliners outpacinggainers 750 to 342, while 495 counters were unchanged, 1,186 untraded and 12 suspended.
Turnover fell to 3.1billion units worth RM2.7billion, from 3.63 billion unitsvalued at RM3.62 billionon Wednesday.
IPPFA Sdn Bhd director of investment strategy and country economist Sedek Jantan said sentiment was cautious, reinforced by weaker domestic manufacturing activity and continued foreign selling. He said softer manufacturing momentum and portfolio rotation inglobal markets kept the benchmark index under pressure, with domestic institutional demand remaining an important counterbalance to persistent foreign outflows.
Earlier,the S&P Global Malaysia Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) edged slightly below the neutral 50.0 mark, falling to 49.9 in September from 50.2 in August, marking the first decline in four months after a sustained period of improvement. Regionally, the S&P Global Asean Manufacturing PMI fell to 52.1 in September from 52.3 in August.
Among the heavyweight counters, Maybank fell four sen to RM9.95, while Public Bank lost three sen to RM4.67, and CIMB dropped10 sen to RM7.69. Tenaga Nasional declined six sen to RM12.90, and IHH Healthcare erased 13 sen to RM7.70.
In active trade, Zetrix AI firmed 0.5 sen to 16.5 sen, VS Industry dippedone sen to 27 sen, and Jaks Resources slipped 2.5 sen to 18 sen. ACE Market debutantGB Bond slumped4.5 sen to 20.5 sen, and HHRG gained half a sen to 16.5 sen.
Of the top gainers, Malaysian Pacific Industriessurged 72 sen to RM41.12, Ayer Holdings rose 20 sen to RM7.70, and Riverview Rubber Estates advanced12 sen to RM3.02. Dutch Lady Malaysia Industries added10 sen to RM30, and Vitrox gainednine sen to RM10.
Among the top losers, Kuala Lumpur Kepong dropped 78 sen to RM21.42,Allianz Malaysia gave up 62 sen to RM21.00, and United Plantations fell 60 sen to RM30.96. Fraser & Neave and Hong Leong Industries both slipped 32 sen to RM21.42 and RM16.14, respectively.
On the index board, the FBM Mid70 Index trimmed 215.69points to 17,358.98, the FBM Emas Index declined 148.48 points to 12,143.53, and the FBM Top 100 Index shed 151.29 points to 11,933.15.
The FBM Emas Shariah Index weakened 163.34 points to 12,013.01, while the FBM ACE Index notched down 51.31 points to 5,482.97.
Sector-wise, the industrial products and services index slipped 2.68 points to 177.73, the energy index eased 10.69 points to 454.03, the financial services index fell 155.58 points to 19,060.91, andthe plantation index retreated 170.10 points to 9,026.57.
The Main Market volume decreasedto 1.82 billion units worth RM2.42billionfrom 2.23 billion units valued at RM3.28 billion on Wednesday.
Warrantsturnover slippedto 618.78 million units worth RM72.71 millionfrom 887.74 million units valued at RM138.36 million previously.
The ACE Market volume expandedto 650.13 million units valued at RM226.92 millionfrom 510.54 million units worth RM201.45million yesterday.
Meanwhile, consumer products and services counters accounted for 225.90 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products and services (404.80 million), construction (256.48 million), technology (426.14 million), financial services (69.01 million), property (133.11 million), plantation (25.25 million), real estate investment trusts (12.87 million), closed-end funds (16,100), energy (81.78 million), healthcare (56.01 million), telecommunications and media (49.21 million), transportation and logistics (52.50 million), utilities (36.12 million), and business trusts (60,200).
