KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 12): The FBM KLCI fell 0.71% at the midday break on Thursday in line with the cautious regional markets.

At 12.30pm, the FBM KLCI lost 12.77 points to 1,786.18, weighed by losses at Petronas-linked stocks and Tenaga Nasional Bhd.

Losers led gainers by 381 to 249, while 295 counters traded unchanged. Volume was 910.71 million shares valued at RM1.28 billion.

The top losers included British American Tobacco (M) Bhd, Petronas Dagangan Bhd, Tenaga, Aeon Credit Services (M) Bhd, Dutch Lady Milk Industries Bhd, Petronas Gas Bhd, UMW Holdings Bhd and Hong Leong Financial Group Bhd.

The actively traded stocks included Perisai Petroleum Teknologi Bhd, Tenaga, Sanichi Technology Bhd, KNM Group Bhd, Icon Offshore Bhd, TH Heavy Engineering Bhd and Sumatec Resources Bhd.

The gainers included Danainfra Nasional Bhd, Syarikat Takaful Malaysia Bhd, Guiness Anchor Bhd, Poh Huat Resources Holdings Bhd, CI Holdings Bhd, Carlsberg Brewery (M) Bhd, LTKM Bhd and Kossan Rubber Industries Bhd.

Asian stocks and the euro fell on Thursday as markets erred on the side of caution over the ongoing Greek debt negotiations amid conflicting headlines on progress in the talks, according to Reuters.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was down 0.7 percent as markets from Australia to China all declined.

Japan's Nikkei bucked the trend and gained 1.6 percent thanks to a significantly weaker yen, it said.

BIMB Securities Research said Asian markets traded mixed on
Wednesday, as a drop in oil prices and a mixed reaction to a slew of earnings in Sydney and brewing uncertainty on the Greek debt crisis offset an inspiring lead from Wall Street on Tuesday.

Locally, it said the FBM KLCI tumbled for the second consecutive day, mainly dragged by losses in Tenaga over the new electricity tariff cut.

“At the close, the key index finished at 1,798.95, down 12.17 points, after fluctuating as low as 1,790.8 at one time.

“We expect the local market to remain flat today due to lack of fresh catalysts with the index hovering in the region of 1,788-1,809,” it said.