KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 7): The FBM KLCI gained 0.19% as select heavyweight counters like Hengyuan Refining Co Ltd and Allianz Malaysia Bhd lifted the benchmark index despite a lack of fresh catalysts.

At 5pm, the benchmark index extended its gains from last Friday to close up 3.38 points at 1,777.91 points, after hitting its intra-day high of 1,778.48 points earlier.

Inter Pacific Securities research head Pong Teng Siew said profit-taking persisted in Bursa Malaysia, amid mixed market sentiment from last Friday such as the stronger-than-expected US jobs data, and weaker technology counters in the US.

"The breadth is actually negative. The gains by the heavyweights [are] what helped moved KLCI upwards," Pong told theedgemarkets.com.

Across Bursa Malaysia, losers led gainers by 496 to 341, while 398 traded unchanged. Some 1.95 billion shares worth RM1.68 billion were traded.

Gainers were led by Hengyuan Refining, Allianz and Tasek Corp Bhd. The biggest decliners include Aeon Credit Service (M) Bhd, Hong Leong Bank Bhd and Perusahaan Sadur Timah Malaysia (Perstima) Bhd.

Elsewhere, Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 0.52% while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was up 0.46%. China's Shanghai Composite gained 0.53%, bolstered by bets for strong economic data from the world's second largest economy this week, Reuters reported.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan added 0.5% when trading commenced on Monday after the Dow Jones recorded its eighth consecutive record high on Friday, the news wire added.

Inter Pacific's Pong said investors should be on the lookout for US president Donald Trump's comments on trade sanctions towards China's incoming economic data.

"His lack of comments from Friday has allowed the Asian market to stay in the positive," he said.