Bursa maintains gains at midday despite softer regional sentiment
At 12.30pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 4.22 points, or 0.27 per cent, to 1,553.33 from Thursday's close of 1,549.11.
The benchmark index had opened 0.11 of a point lower at 1,549.00 and moved between 1,546.41 and 1,554.27 throughout the session.
However, market breadth was negative with 503 decliners outpacing 293 gainers, while another 438 counters were unchanged, 1,279 untraded and nine suspended.
Turnover stood at 1.46 billion units worth RM959.61 million.
Apex Securities Bhd said market sentiment remains jittery as Wall Street's volatile overnight session reflected lingering concerns over a potential economic slowdown and persistent tariff tensions.
However, the brokerage advises investors to remain defensive and stay on the sidelines in light of ongoing global headwinds, while awaiting clearer market direction.
"We expect gold-related stocks to gain from rising demand for safe-haven assets, with gold prices continuing to climb, while the energy sector may see some bargain hunting, driven by a recovery in crude oil prices," it said in a note today.
Earlier today, the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) reported that Malaysia's wholesale and retail trade grew steadily by 4.8 per cent in June 2025, with total sales reaching RM153.0 billion.
The increase was mainly driven by strong performances in the retail and wholesale trade sub-sectors.
Among the heavyweights, Maybank and IHH Healthcare gained one sen to RM9.64 and RM6.96, respectively, Public Bank added four sen to RM4.33, Tenaga Nasional advanced two sen to RM13.78, and CIMB rose seven sen to RM6.85.
In active trade, Ekovest dropped 1.5 sen to 39 sen, Tanco eased half-a-sen to 76.5 sen, TWL and Malayan United Industries were flat at 2.5 sen and six sen, respectively, while NexG inched up half-a-sen to 53.5 sen.
Across the broader market, the FBM Emas Index strengthened 8.27 points to 11,574.81 and the FBMT 100 Index climbed 12.06 points to 11,352.72, while the FBM Emas Shariah Index edged down 8.24 points to 11,597.92.
The FBM ACE Index decreased 32.03 points to 4,598.85, while the FBM 70 Index declined 65.18 points to 16,463.79.
By sector, the Financial Services Index jumped 88.25 points to 17,582.71, the Plantation Index increased 57.58 points to 7,406.32, and the Energy Index ticked up 0.93 of a point to 735.61, while the Industrial Products and Services Index eased 0.40 of a point to 157.62.
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