KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 25): The FBM KLCI gained 7.39 points or 0.4% amid a stronger ringgit.

At 5pm, the KLCI ended at 1,684.42 points. JF Apex Securities Bhd's head of research Lee Chung Cheng told theedgemarkets.com that although the KLCI rose, there were selling pressure on small cap counters.

The FBM Small Cap Index fell 201.750 points or 1.26% to close at 15,754.34. The index comprises companies within the top 98% portion of Bursa Malaysia's Main Market, but excludes FBMT100 entities.

“The market sentiment was still in a cautious mood today, therefore, you can see some profit taking among the smaller caps,” Lee said

The ringgit strengthened to 4.2098 against the US dollar at 5pm. The ringgit strengthened as sentiment on Malaysia improved, after 1Malaysia Development Bhd said it was selling its power assets to China General Nuclear Power Corp.

Bursa Malaysia saw 2.77 billion shares, worth RM2.37 billion, traded. There were 268 gainers versus 669 decliners, while 321 counters remained unchanged.

Top gainer was Nestle (M) Bhd, while Johore Tin Bhd led decliners.

Kim Teck Cheong Consolidated Bhd, which made its debut on the local bourse today, topped the most actively-traded list. The stock jumped 17 sen or 113% to 32 sen, with some 199 million shares traded.

Kim Teck Cheong's initial public offering involved a public issue of 142 million new shares at 15 sen each.

Asian share markets fell. Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.39%; South Korea's Kospi retreated 0.34%, while Hong Kong Hang Seng declined 0.4%.

Reuters reported Asian stocks were on edge on Wednesday, as geopolitical tensions flared after Turkey downed a Russian fighter jet, while crude oil prices extended gains.

(Note: The Edge Research's fundamental score reflects a company’s profitability and balance sheet strength, calculated based on historical numbers. The valuation score determines if a stock is attractively valued or not, also based on historical numbers. A score of 3 suggests strong fundamentals and attractive valuations.)