Key Asian markets were mostly in the red as investors decided to stay on the sidelines as the third quarter wraps up today in the absence of any window-dressing activities.

The FBM KLCI fell 3.59 points or 0.3% to 1,204.62 at midday but year-to-date it is up 37.4%, lagging behind most of the Asian markets. Turnover was 316.74 million shares valued at RM337.5 million. Decliners beat advancers 388 to 118 while 217 stocks were unchanged.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell 0.73% to 20,859.24; Singapore's Straits Times Index shed 0.51% to 2,649.74 and Japan's Nikkei 225 0.19% lower at 10,080.92 but Shanghai's Composite Index rose 0.69% to 2,773.42.

Light crude oil rose 46 cents to US$67.17 but crude palm oil futures slipped RM2 to RM2,100.

PPB fell 50 sen to RM15.44 with 5.53 million shares done and Genting Plantations 13 sen lower at RM6. Proton lost 11 sen to RM4.09 and F&N 10 sen to RM10.40.

DFZ fell 33 sen to RM4.17 with 700 shares done, Sinora 25 sen to 64 sen and Taliworks 18 sen to RM1.50.

TA was the most active with 19.8 million shares done, shedding four sen to RM1.44.

BCorp rose 4.5 sen to RM1.02 in active trade, BCorp-LC two sen higher to 49 sen and BCorp-OA 9.5 sen higher to 96 sen while Berjaya Land added 10 sen to RM3.89.

Hai-O was the top gainer, adding 28 sen to RM5.97, which was the highest in its trading history.  Hiap Tek added six sen to RM1.17.