KUALA LUMPUR: Shares in Bursa Malaysia finished lower today in tandem with regional bourses with the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) 3.44 points easier.
The key index closed at 1,846.05 points after moving between 1,843.85 points and 1,851.91 points throughout the day.
Kenanga Research expects the FBM KLCI to trade in a choppy manner but with upside bias this week, between the range of 1,849 and 1,873 points, after the conclusion of both the United States Federal Open Market Committee and Bank Negara monetary policy meetings last week.
"The latest decision (to remain status quo on their respective interest rates) made by both central banks cheered the market last week which could potentially spill over to the coming weeks," it said in a note here today.
Market breadth negative with losers outpacing gainers by 444 to 384 while 316 counters remained unchanged, 487 untraded and 14 others were suspended.
Total volume fell to 2.59 billion shares worth RM1.84 billion from 2.6 billion shares worth RM2.26 billion last Friday.
Of the heavyweights, Maybank and CIMB remained pegged at RM10.04 and RM7.06, respectively while Tenaga Nasional lost 18 sen to RM12.20 and Axiata eased one sen to RM6.96.
Public Bank rose eight sen to RM19.12.
On the scoreboard, the Industrial Index fell 6.48 points to 3,202.92 points, the Finance Index erased 41.71 points to 17,350.7 points but the plantation Index added 25 points to 8,422.72 points.
The FBM Emas Index was 19.93 points lower at 12,924.38 points, FBMT100 Index depreciated 20.57 points to 12,502.58 points, FBM 70 declined 13.19 points to 14,293.69 points, but the FBM Ace increased 40.63 points to 7,296.24 points.
Among active counters, Efficient E-Solutions rose one sen to 36.5 sen and Iris Corporation added two sen to 42 sen.
Main Market volume rose to 1.74 billion units worth RM1.65 billion from 1.70 billion units worth RM2.09 billion recorded on Friday.
Turnover on the ACE Market fell to 741.36 million shares valued at RM185.35 million from 789.73 million shares valued at RM152.92 million previously.
Warrants shrank to 20.96 million units worth RM3.84 million from 26.23 million units worth RM4.06 million last week.
Consumer products accounted for 150.54 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products (307.79 million), construction (66.14 million), trade and services (783.08 million), technology (80.35 million), infrastructure (14.44 million), SPAC (44.55 million), finance (33.48 million), hotels (429,700), properties (195.84 million), plantations (56.25 million), mining (296,500), REITs (9.66 million), and closed/fund (76,100).-- Bernama