KUALA LUMPUR (May 18): The FBM KLCI fell 0.57% this morning in line with the tepid regional markets while ACE Market-debutant Salutica Bhd made a firm start.

At 9.33am, the FBMKLCI loset 9.33 points to 1,624.06.

The top losers included British American Tobacco (M) Bhd, Petronas Gas Bhd, Hong Leong Bank Bhd, Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd, Panasonic Malaysia Manufacturing Bhd, PPB Group Bhd, Hong Leong Financial Group Bhd, MISC Bhd, Public Bank Bhd and Genting Bhd.

Meanwhile, newly-listed Salutica Bhd was the top active active stock and rose 6.88% or 5.5 sen to 85.5 sen with 9.67 million shares done.

Asian shares stepped back on Wednesday after strong U.S. inflation data and comments from Federal Reserve officials rekindled the prospects of the central bank raising rates later this year,according to Reuters.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell 0.3 percent in early trade, while Japan's Nikkei was little changed, held up by stronger-than-expected reading in Japan's April-June GDP, it said.

JF Apex Securities Research in a market preview today said  US markets lost 1% overnight following concern of an earlier interest rate hike by the Federal Reserve.

It said that earlier, European markets ended lower after being dragged down by automotive stocks.

"On the local market, the FBM KLCI surged 12.18 points to 1633.39 points after staging a rebound.

"Following the bearish performance in the US and Europe, the FBM KLCI could decline today with support at 1615 points," it said.