KUALA LUMPUR: Toyo Ink, Integrax and Ho Hup shares surged at the midday break on Monday, Jan 4 in as trading interest perked up at the start of the new trading year while the breadth of the market was also positive.

At 12.30pm, the FBM KLCI was up 2.09 points to 1,274.87. Turnover was 548.04 million shares valued at RM410.49 million. There were 403 gainers, 152 losers and 198 stocks unchanged.

Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 0.95% to 10,646.27, but Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell 0.29% to 21,809.36, Shanghai's Composite Index fell 0.35% to 3,265.51 and Singapore's Straits Times Index fell 0.29% to 2,889.32.

Light crude oil rose 61 cents to US$79.97, gold added US$4.08 to US$1,102 and crude palm oil futures added RM23 to RM2,683.

At Bursa Malaysia, Toko Ink rose 33 sen to RM2.35 with 1.64 million shares. The sharp rise in the share price prompted a query from Bursa Malaysia Securities.

Last Thursday, Toko Ink told Bursa Malaysia there was was no material development pertaining to the MOU signed between Toyo Ink and Power Engineering Consulting Joint Stock Company 2 over the power plant project in Vietnam.

Integrax added 30 sen to RM1.20 with 3.85 million shares after it inked a deal with Brazil-based Vale International last week to provide transshipment services for iron ore cargo at its Lekir Bulk Terminal in Manjung, Perak.

Ho Hup added 29.5 sen to RM1.18 after the proposed sale of two parcels of land was passed with a 60.06% majority in an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) on Thursday.

Among the FBM KLCI stocks, Tanjong added 26 sen to RM17.10, Nestle 16 sen to RM33.26 and Genting also advanced 16 sen to RM7.50.

SAAG was the most active with 33.8 million shares done, adding 0.5 sen to 18 sen.

Manulife fell 55 sen to RM2.75 with 113,300 shares done while DiGi shed 12.5 sen to RM21.84 while Public Bank and its foreign shares lost 10 sen each to RM11.20 and RM11.16.