KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 3 — Bursa Malaysia traded slightly lower at mid-morning on Monday, taking its cue from broader regional weakness as investors closely monitored geopolitical developments in West Asia and shifting crude oil dynamics.
At 11:01 am, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) slipped 0.94 of a point to 1,723.96 compared to last Friday’s close of 1,724.90. The index had opened 0.36 of a point higher at 1,725.26 earlier in the session.
Market breadth across the local exchange remained negative, with losers outpacing gainers 451 to 389, while 494 counters traded unchanged, 1,396 remained untraded, and 20 were suspended. Total market turnover stood at 1.13 billion shares valued at RM630.06 million.
The regional market downturn followed reports that US President Donald Trump stood down on planned military strikes against Iran as discussions continue around securing maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Asian markets reacted with widespread caution, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 falling 1.74% to 63,240.51, South Korea’s KOSPI plunging 4.09% to 6,325.51, Singapore’s Straits Times Index dipping 0.32% to 5,610.27, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index edging down 0.08% to 25,864.34.
Heavyweights on the FBM KLCI saw mostly downward pressure. Malayan Banking edged down four sen to RM10.86, Public Bank dropped two sen to RM5.15, IHH Healthcare lowered two sen to RM8.33, and Tenaga Nasional shed eight sen to RM14.52. Bucking the trend, CIMB Group gained two sen to RM7.91.
Active counters saw mixed momentum as KSL Holdings added two sen to RM2.92, RT Pastry gained half a sen to 14 sen, and Infomina rose one sen to RM1.47. Conversely, Hartalega Holdings slipped one sen to RM1.01, while Pentech Holdings traded flat at 28 sen.
Nestle topped the gainers’ list, surging RM1.50 to RM102.60, followed by Malaysian Pacific Industries, which jumped 84 sen to RM46.84, and AmBank, which climbed 21 sen to RM6.97. Notable decliners included Fraser & Neave, down 36 sen to RM27.54, and Petronas Chemicals, which lost 19 sen to RM4.59.
Sectoral performance was mixed across the board. The Financial Services Index rose 15.28 points to 20,342.93 and the Plantation Index advanced 23.27 points to 9,311.85. Meanwhile, the Industrial Products and Services Index fell 1.35 points to 187.39 and the Energy Index shed 0.52 of a point to 765.20.
–NMT
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