KUALA LUMPUR: Petronas-linked stocks climbed at midday on Monday, tracking the key Asian markets higher, boosted by the advance in crude oil prices while the ringgit was firmer against the US dollar.

At 12.30pm, the KLCI was up 2.46 points or 0.14% to 1,77.74. Turnover was 2.38 billion shares valued at RM1.33bil. There were 502 gainers, 382 losers and 352 counters unchanged.

The ringgit rose 0.32% against the US dollar to 4.3075 from 4.3215 and advanced 0.3% versus the pound sterling to 5.6019 from 5.6186 and gained 0.11% against the Singapore dollar to 3.1046 from 3.1079. However, it slipped 0.06% against the euro to 4.8207 from 4.8178.

US light crude oil climbed 47 cents to US$50.80 and Brent gained 51 cents to US$54.12.

Petronas Dagangan added 26 sen to RM25.02 and Petronas Gas gained 24 sen to RM19.24 while Petronas Chemicals gained three sen to RM7.36. Refiner Hengyuan jumped 19 sen to RM5.28.

As for banks, Hong Leong Bank rose six sen to RM14.04, RHB Bank edged up two sen to RM5.42 CIMB added one sen to RM5.97 but Maybank shed three sen to RM9.32. AmBank and Public Bank were flat at RM5.41 and RM20.

Genting Malaysia rose 11 sen to RM5.91 and nudged the KLCI up 1.07 points but Genting Bhd lost 16 sen to RM9.79.

Tenaga Nasional was flat at RM13.78 while MISC added seven sen to RM7.56.

CabNet, which was listed on the Ace Market, rose 14 sen to 70 sen.

Choo Bee was the top gainer, suring 28 sen to RM2.40 after the strong set of earnings.

SP Setia was the top performer among the property stocks, surging 28 sen to RM3.98 while the call warrants, CX jumped 17.5 sen to 27.5 sen.

Globetronics added 16 sen to RM5.80 on rising optimistim about the company's outlook.
 
Crude palm oil for third-month delivery rose RM28 to RM2,663 per tonne.  IOI Corp rose one sen to RM4.54, KL Kepong gained two sen to RM24.88, PPB Group added six sen to RM17.03 and Sime Darby was flat at RM9.31.

Magnum lost 21 sen to RM1.89 after its weak results and after it announced a weaker set of earnings and also a heavy tax heavy penalty weighed on the stock.

Among the key regional markets,

Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 0.46% to 19,680.74;

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index added 0.94% to 25,412.26;

CSI 300 edged up 0.07% to 3,406.08;

Shanghai’s Composite Index fell 0.24% to 3,083.11;

Hang Seng China Enterprise jumped 1.15%to 10,385.72;

Taiwan’s Taiex gained 0.23% to 9,970.82;

South Korea’s Kospi added 0.49% to 2,299.58 and 

Singapore’s Straits Times Index edged up 0.05% to 3,218.57.

Spot gold fell US$3.07 to US$1,252.86.

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