KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 7): Bursa Malaysia's Energy Index, which tracks oil and gas-related shares on the local bourse, pulled back today from its all-time high amidst concerns about an escalation of tensions between the United States and Iran.

At 10.30am, the Energy Index was one of the only three sub-indices in red and the largest index decliner across the local bourse, down 1.46% or 18.81 points at 1,272.44. The benchmark FBM KLCI, in comparison, was up 0.91% or 14.48 points at 1,612.24.

Energy-related counters continued to take up Bursa's top active list today.

Alam Maritim Resources Bhd, which closed near its two-year high on Monday, was the most actively traded counter with some 90 million shares done at the time of writing. The stock fell half a sen or 2.7% to 18 sen, for a market capitalisation of RM193.53 million.

Similarly, Sapura Energy Bhd edged down half a sen to 28.5 sen, while Hibiscus Petroleum Bhd lost three sen or 2.86% to RM1.02.

Oil prices edged lower on Tuesday, coming off their highest levels in months, as markets await Iran's response to the killing of its top military commander by the US.

The benchmark Brent crude futures were traded 0.91% lower at the time of writing at US$68.28 a barrel.

It had on Monday spiked to trade in the neighbourhood of US$70 per barrel, a price not seen since last September, on fears that any escalation of tensions between Iran and the US would disrupt energy supplies from the Middle East region that accounts for nearly half of the world's oil production.