KUALA LUMPUR (March 31): Bursa Malaysia's main index ended the week on a negative note on Friday (March 31), after failing to sustain earlier session gains, as investors booked profit following the recent advance.
At 5pm, the FBM KLCI had lost 2.02 points to 1,422.59, from Thursday's close at 1,424.61.
The main index, which opened 0.18 of a point higher at 1,424.79, oscillated between an intraday low of 1,421.36 and an intraday high of 1,429.48.
Market breadth remained positive, as gainers beat decliners 439 to 407, while 427 counters were unchanged, 1,003 untraded, and 73 others suspended.
Turnover narrowed to 3.27 billion units worth RM1.76 billion, versus Thursday's 3.31 billion units worth RM1.63 billion.
Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd equity research vice-president Thong Pak Leng said the market ended easier despite key regional indices being mostly higher, taking their positive cue from Wall Street and European markets.
An analyst said investors are awaiting US core personal consumption expenditure data, which is the US Federal Reserve's preferred gauge of inflation, later on Friday.
At home, heavyweight PPB Group Bhd led the list of decliners after losing 56 sen to RM16.56, followed by Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank) at RM8.57 and Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd at RM7.07, both of which decreased by six sen, while CIMB Group Holdings Bhd fell four sen to RM5.31, and Press Metal Aluminium Holdings Bhd was five sen weaker at RM4.87.
Meanwhile, CelcomDigi Bhd gained four sen to RM4.34 and Public Bank Bhd was two sen higher at RM4.00, helping to cap losses in the main index.
As for the actives, MMAG Holdings Bhd at two sen, BSL Corp Bhd at 1.5 sen and Fitters Diversified Bhd at eight sen were unchanged, while MyEG Services Bhd bagged 3.5 sen to 76.5 sen.
On the index board, the FBM Emas Index dwindled by 4.78 points to 10,419.63, the FBMT 100 Index declined by 5.25 points to 10,114.03, and the FBM Emas Shariah Index decreased by 6.36 points to 10,716.43.
The FBM 70 Index gained 30.74 points to 13,512.38, and the FBM ACE Index was 23.47 points higher at 5,226.80.
Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index weakened 58.04 points to 15,708.70, and the Industrial Products and Services Index was 0.56 of a point lower at 171.08, while the Plantation Index added 10.80 points to 6,741.28, and the Energy Index went up 4.54 points to 836.81.
The Main Market volume slid to 1.94 billion shares worth RM1.46 billion, against 2.43 billion shares worth RM1.32 billion on Thursday.
Warrant turnover, however, expanded to 417.71 million units worth RM77.22 million, from 280.26 million units worth RM53.65 million.
The ACE Market volume strengthened to 909.05 million shares worth RM223.97 million, from 604.14 million shares worth RM258.84 million previously.
Consumer products and services counters accounted for 344.88 million shares traded on the Main Market, followed by industrial products and services (622.18 million), construction (105.81 million), technology (338.12 million), special purpose acquisition companies (nil), financial services (67.56 million), property (102.37 million), plantation (21.46 million), real estate investment trusts (6.50 million), closed/funds (31,100), energy (123.16 million), healthcare (71.16 million), telecommunications and media (48.50 million), transportation and logistics (44.02 million), and utilities (46.82 million).