KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 27): The FBM KLCI fell 0.36% at mid-morning today, weighed by index-linked blue chips, against the backdrop of firmer regional markets.

At 10am, the FBM KLCI lost 6.18 points to 1,712.82.

Losers led gainers by 294 to 230, while 257 counters traded unchanged. Volume was 507.69 million shares valued at RM355.38 million.

The top losers included Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd, Hong Leong Financial Group Bhd, Nestle (M) Bhd, Petronas Dagangan Bhd, Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd, IHH Healthcare Bhd, Malaysian Pacific Industries Bhd and Genting Plantations Bhd.

The actives included Dayang Enterprise Holdings Bhd, My EG Services Bhd, Naim Holdings Bhd, Sapura Energy Bhd, FGV Holdings Bhd, RGB International Bhd and Carimin Petroleum Bhd.

The gainers included ViTrox Corp Bhd, British American Tobacco (M) Bhd, Amway (M) Holdings Bhd, Hong Leong Industries Bhd, Apex Healthcare Bhd, Dufu Technology Corp Bhd, Favelle Favco Bhd, Naim and Yinson Holdings Bhd.

Asian shares edged higher on Wednesday and the US dollar fell to a three-week low after Federal Reserve (Fed) chairman Jerome Powell reinforced the US central bank's recent shift towards a more "patient" approach on policy in the face of a slowing economy, according to Reuters.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan added 0.1% in early trade, not far from its five-month high marked on Monday, it said.

Hong Leong IB Research said in the short term, Wall St near-term outlook remains positive, thanks to the progressive US-China trade talks and increasingly dovish Fed coupled with a healthy US economy.

"Nevertheless, facing with crosscurrents and conflicting worries over slowing economy and a deteriorating US 1Q19 earnings outlook, mounting US debts, coupled with grossly overbought Dow (+20% rally since December low), a lot of the good news had been priced in and further strong gains are likely to cap near 27,000 levels.

"Key supports are pegged at 25,500-25,800 zones," it said.

On the FBM KLCI, the research house said in the short term, the market would remain choppy due to ongoing healthy profit-taking activities following recent batches of tepid 4Q18 results as well as net foreign outflows.

"However, hopes of a positive US-China trade [deal] as well as a dovish Fed, coupled with the recovery in crude oil prices and the headlines on the potential resumption in domestic mega projects should act as supporting catalysts for KLCI to retest the long-term downtrend resistance near 1,738 levels," it said.