KUALA LUMPUR: The FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) stayed firmly above the 1,600 points mark at midday, on a broad-based rally in the stock market.
At 12.30 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 11.97 points to 1,609.36 from Monday's close of 1,597.39.
The barometer index which opened 3.46 points higher at 1,600.85, moved between 1,600.66 and 1,609.99 during the session.
On the broader market, gainers led decliners 566 to 426, while 473 counters were unchanged, 848 untraded and 14 others suspended.
Tradeview Capital Sdn Bhd vice president Tan Cheng Wen said the FBM KLCI finally breached the 1,600 psychological barrier as investor sentiment has continued to remain positive coupled with foreign investors having turned net buyers since the last week of April.
"It looks like a broad based rally with 24 components on an uptrend today, contributing to the 1,600 mark," he told the Business Times.
Among the heavyweight counters, Malayan Banking Bhd added two sen to RM9.85, Public Bank Bhd rose two sen each to RM4.22, IHH Healthcare Bhd rose one sen to RM6.31 while both Tenaga Nasional Bhd gained two sen to RM12.40 and CIMB Group Holdings Bhd gained 12 sen to RM6.87.
As for the actives, Ingenieur Gudang Bhd fell half sen to 10 sen, Bina Puri Holdings Bhd was flat seven sen, Capital A Bhd gained seven sen to 91 sen, MY E.G. Services Bhd added 15 sen to 93 sen and SNS Network Bhd was 1.5 sen up to 48 sen.