KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 6): The FBM KLCI rose 11.84 points or 0.7% today, tracking gains in regional markets.

The benchmark index closed at 1,689.92 points, helped by gains in stocks such as British American Tobacco (M) Bhd (BAT), IOI Corp Bhd, Axiata Group Bhd and Genting Malaysia Bhd.

Across Asia, Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.58%. Japan's Nikkei 225 gained 0.26% and South Korea's Kospi climbed 0.31%.

Reuters reported that Asian shares rose today, while Australian equities fell after the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) left its rates unchanged. The RBA decided to hold interest rates steady at 1.5% after cutting them to a record low in August.

Mercury Securities Sdn Bhd research head Edmund Tham told theedgemarkets.com that the regional markets performed quite positively today.

"For the local stock market, there is no big news. Moving forward, the KLCI is expected to stay at the current level. There is no significant upside or downside," he said.

Tham said there are no clear signals on US interest rates.

Higher US interest rates do not bode well for emerging Asian markets in anticipation that investors will shift their funds back to US dollar-based assets.

Bursa Malaysia saw 412 advancers versus 341 decliners. A total of 1.73 billion shares valued at RM1.57 billion changed hands.

The top gainer was BAT while the top loser was Fraser & Neave Holdings Bhd. Sanichi Technology Bhd was the most-actively traded counter, with 151.88 million shares traded.