KUALA LUMPUR (March 20): The FBM KLCI shed 0.09% at mid-morning today, tracking losses at key regional markets.

At 10am, the FBM KLCI shed 1.82 points to 1,846.12. The index had earlier slipped to a low of 1,844.92.

Losers led gainers by 394 to 133, while 281 counters traded unchanged. Volume was 439.86 million shares valued at RM218 million.

The top losers included Nestle (M) Bhd, Dutch Lady Milk Industries Bhd, Panasonic Manufacturing Malaysia Bhd, KESM Indutries Bhd, Poh Huat Resources Bhd, Malaysian Pacific Industries Bhd, Carlsberg Brewery Malaysia Bhd, Grand Hoover Bhd, Top Glove Corp Bhd and Lysaght Galvanized Steel Bhd.

The actives included Goodway Integrated Industries Bhd, Frontken Corporation Bhd, Sino Hua-An International Bhd, Silver Ridge Bhd and DGB Asia Bhd.

The gainers included Petronas Gas Bhd, Lafarge Malaysia Bhd, UMW Holdings Bhd, Tenaga Nasional Bhd, IJM Plantations Bhd, Eita Resources Bhd, Petron Malaysia Refining & Marketing Bhd, Petronas Chemicals Group Bdh and Naim Holdings Bhd.

Asian shares fell on Tuesday as investors dumped high-flying U.S. technology shares on fears of stiffer regulation as Facebook came under fire following reports it allowed improper access to user data, according to Reuters.

The retreat came as investors braced for new Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell's first policy meeting starting later in the day and amid concerns that U.S. President Donald Trump could impose additional protectionist trade measures, it said.

Hong Leong IB Research in a traders’ breif said that the selling interest on tech giants could spillover to other tech heavyweights as it may trigger further increase in regulations on internet platforms.

“Also, market participants are likely to trade cautiously ahead of the FOMC meeting.

“Meanwhile, tracking the negative performance on Wall Street, we expect traders or retailers to stay conservative, deploying the wait-and-see strategy over the near term without any strong form of buying interest buying.

“Nevertheless, we believe any downside could be cushioned out by the local institutions ahead of the dissolution of parliament and the major political event (GE14) in Malaysia,” it said.