KUALA LUMPUR (June 28): The FBM KLCI pared some of its loss at the midday break today but remained lacklustre in line with its regional peers, dragged by Genting-linked stocks.

At 12.30pm, the FBM KLCI was down 0.02 points to 1,672.68. The index had earlier slipped to a low of 1,670.81.

Losers led gainers by 279 to 189, while 516 counters traded unchanged. Volume was 1.01 billion shares valued at RM592.35 million.

The top losers included Heineken Malaysia Bhd, Genting Plantations Bhd, British American Tobacco (M) Bhd, Aeon Credit Service (M) Bhd, NPC Resources Bhd, Public Bank Bhd, Genting Bhd and Westports Holdings Bhd.

The actives included KNM Group Bhd, Sapura Energy Bhd, Greenyield Bhd, Bumi Armada Bhd, Focus Dynamics Group Bhd and Hubline Bhd.

The gainers included Allianz Malaysia Bhd, Tenaga Nasional Bhd, Petronas Gas Bhd, Apollo Food Holdings Bhd, Lingkaran Trans Kota Holdings Bhd, United Plantations Bhd and Sarawak Consolidated Industries Bhd.

Most Southeast Asian stock markets traded in a tight range on Friday as investors laid off heavy bets on the last day of the quarter and ahead of a key trade meeting between leaders of the world's top two economies, according to Reuters.

US President Donald Trump has agreed to no preconditions for his high-stakes meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 summit this weekend and is maintaining his threat to impose new tariffs on Chinese goods, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said on Thursday, the newswire reported.

Affin Hwang Capital Research said the FBM KLCI Index dropped slightly lower in yesterday's session, shedding 1.79 points or 0.1%. The index closed at 1,672.7.

"The index has been consistently edging lower for the past few days and is now showing signs that the next pullback may be in progress.

"Apart from the immediate support calculated around 1,655-1,665, we may see prices finding some sort of support as well in between the 20- and 50-day EMA (exponential moving average).

"Key daily technical indicators, namely MACD (moving average convergence divergence), RSI (relative strength index) & Stochastic are also beginning to show early signs of reversing lower.

"Technical relief rebound in progress," it said.