KUALA LUMPUR (May 10): The FBM KLCI opened lower this morning and extended its losses in line with the weaker start at regional markets.

At 9am, the FBM KLCI fell 3.47 points to 1,628.72.

The top losers included Petronas Dagangan Bhd, British American Tobacco (M) Bhd, UEM Edgenta Bhd. Hong Leong Bank Bhd, Lafarge Malaysia Bhd, Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd, MISC Bhd, Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd and Time Dotcom Bhd.

Asian shares got off to a weak start on Tuesday, pressured by weaker crude oil prices, though Japanese shares got a tailwind as the dollar stood tall against the yen, according to Reuters.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was down 0.3 percent in early trading. Wall Street put in a mixed performance overnight, undercut by tumbling oil prices amid expectations that U.S. crude inventories would again build to record highs, it said.

JF Apex Securities Research in a market preview today said US markets ended mixed overnight with gains in healthcare counters and declines in material and energy stocks as oil prices fell.

It said that similarly, European stocks closed mixed after declines in oil prices and mining counters.

“On the local bourse, the FBM KLCI plunged 17.17 points to 1632.19 points on foreign selling.

“Following the mixed performances of US and European markets, the FBM KLCI could remain sideways above its support of 1620 points,” it said.