KUALA LUMPUR (April 25): The FBM KLCI fell 0.77% at the midday break today as investor sentiment remained negative, tracking regional markets.

At 12.30pm, the FBM KLCI lost 14.39 points to 1,850.95.

Losers led gainers by 465 to 93, while 510 counters traded unchanged. Volume was 951.79 million shares valued at RM750.94 million.

The top losers included Nestle (M) Bhd, Panasonic Manufacturing Malaysia Bhd, Malaysian Pacific Industries Bhd, Allianz Malaysia Bhd, Unisem (M) Bhd, Top Glove Corp Bhd, Hengyuan Refining Co Bhd, Heineken Malaysia Bhd, Hong Leong Industries Bhd, Hong Leong Bank Bhd and Public Bank Bhd.

The actives included Sapura Energy Bhd, Nexgram Holdings Bhd, Hibiscus Petroleum Bhd, KNM Group Bhd, PDZ Holdings Bhd, PUC Bhd and YKGI Holdings Bhd.

The gainers included British American Tobacco (M) Bhd, United Plantations Bhd, Ajinomoto (M) Bhd, Genting Plantations Bhd, Syarikat Takaful Malaysia Bhd, Fraser & Neave Holdings Bhd, Tong Herr Resources Bhd and Globetronics Technology Bhd.

Asian shares fell on Wednesday as a rise in US bond yields to 3% and warnings from bellwether US companies of higher costs drove fears that corporate earnings growth may peak soon, according to Reuters.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan dropped 0.7% to its lowest in almost three weeks, with tech-heavy Taiwan shares hitting two-month lows on worries about slowing semiconductor demand, it said.

Affin Hwang Capital Research said regional markets are expected to trade lower today after stocks in the US market tumbled in the last session as a rout in the shares of industrial and technology companies sent indexes spiralling lower amid a raft of earnings and renewed selling in the bull market's biggest winners.

"The S&P 500 index fell by 1.3% to 2,634.56. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 424.56 points (1.7%) to 24,024.13.

"For the local market, the FBM KLCI (is) anticipated to continue edging lower in tandem (with) the global market. Accumulate quality stocks on price weakness," it said.