KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 5): The FBM KLCI closed 6.29 points or 0.38% higher at 1,678.08 today in line with regional markets, which were also up following the strong performance of the US market last Friday.

The rebound in the US markets was prompted by a weaker-than-expected August US jobs report, and saw the Dow Jones Industrial Average closing up 0.39% and the S&P 500 rising 0.42%.

"Investors may also be waiting for signals for any potential interest rate hike by the US Federal Reserve at the Federal Open Market Committee meeting [scheduled to be held in mid-September]," JF Apex senior analyst Lee Cherng Wee told theedgemarkets.com.

Regionally, Japan's Nikkei 225 was up 0.66%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose 1.65%, China's CSI 300 index inched up 0.17% while South Korea's Kospi climbed 1.07%.

Reuters reported that Asian shares rallied on Monday after the US jobs report prompted investors to trim expectations that the Federal Reserve would hike interest rates as early as this month.

The jobs report showed nonfarm payrolls rose by 151,000 jobs in August, after an upwardly revised 275,000 increase in July. Economists polled by Reuters had expected a rise of 180,000.

The ringgit closed higher by 0.47% to 4.07 against the US dollar at 5pm today, and closed 0.25% higher at 2.9992 against the Singapore dollar.

The local stock exchange saw a total of 1.56 billion shares valued at RM1.4 billion traded. Market breadth was mixed, with 423 gainers, 379 decliners and 380 counters unchanged.

The day's top gainers included British American Tobacco (M) Bhd, UMW Holdings Bhd, Heineken Malaysia Bhd and Top Glove Corp Bhd.

Losers included Ajinomoto (M) Bhd, Advanced Packaging Technology (M) Bhd, Amway (Malaysia) Holdings Bhd and Hong Leong Financial Group Bhd.

Actives included Vivocom Intl Holdings Bhd, AirAsia X Bhd and Xidelang Holdings Ltd.