KUALA LUMPUR (June 9): The FBM KLCI pared some of its loss at mid-morning but the ringgit stayed weak against the US dollar.

At 10.01am, the FBM KLCI was down 5.51 points to 1,733.94. The index had earlier slipped to a low of 1,729.92.

The ringgit remained subdued against the US dollar at 3.7572.

On Bursa Malaysia, the top losers included Golden Land Bhd, Tasek Corporation Bhd, Carlsberg Brewery (M) Holdings Bhd, Tenaga Nasional Bhd, Sam Engineering Bhd, Maxis Bhd, Hong Leong Financial Group Bhd, UMW Holdings Bhd, Telekom Malaysia Bhd and KPJ Healthcare Bhd.

The top actives included Dolphin International Bhd, Kanger International Bhd, Globaltec Technology Bhd, APFT Bhd, Asia Media Bhd, Frontken Corporation Bhd and IFCA MSC Bhd.

The top gainers included British American Tobacco (M) Bhd, Oriental Food Industries Bhd, PPB Group Bhd, Globetronics Technology Bhd, Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd, United Malacca Bhd, Syarikat Takaful Malaysia Bhd and Only World Group Holdings Bhd.

Asia shares were subdued on Tuesday while the dollar relapsed as investors raced to book profits on its post-payroll gains despite all the talk of a US rate rise as early as September, according to Reuters.

Japan's Nikkei eased 0.7% and Australian stocks were barely changed. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was a fraction firmer having touched a 10-week low on Monday, it said.

Hong Leong IB Research said that given the lack of fresh catalysts and nagging domestic issues, the FBM KLCI is likely to engage in an extended consolidation in the short term following the multiple breakdowns below key SMAs (ie 10-d/20-d/30-d/50-d/100-d/200-d SMAs) and long-term support trend line from all time high of 1,896 (July 8, 2014).

“For a resumption of uptrend, the FBM KLCI must swiftly recapture the immediate resistance near 1,769 (50% FR) and 1,775 (mid Bollinger band),” it said.