KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 24): The FBM KLCI lost 0.35% at mid-morning today, dragged by losses including at index-linked plantation stocks and as underlying sentiment stayed bearish.

At 10am, the FBM KLCI lost 5.52 points to 1,587.41.

Losers led gainers by 242 to 183, while 289 counters traded unchanged. Volume was 506.84 million shares valued at RM216.78 million.

The top losers included Fraser & Neave Holdings Bhd, Nestle (M) Bhd, Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd, PPB Group Bhd, Carlsberg Brewery Malaysia Bhd, Malaysian Pacific Industries Bhd, British American Tobacco (M) Bhd, Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd, IGB Bhd and Hap Seng Consolidated Bhd.

The actives included Eduspec Holdings Bhd, Vsolar Group Bhd, Metronic Global Bhd, Sapura Energy Bhd, Bumi Armada Bhd, MNC Wireless Bhd and SMTrack Bhd.

The gainers included Ajinomoto (M) Bhd, Heineken Malaysia Bhd, UMW Holdings Bhd, Lafarge Malaysia Bhd, PRG Holdings Bhd, Tong Herr Resources Bhd, Pos Malaysia Bhd, Country Heights Holdings Bhd and Southern Steel Bhd.

US stock futures gained in early Asian trade on Tuesday after US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said US-China trade talks will resume in early October while the euro struggled in the wake of dismal European manufacturing and services data, according to Reuters.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan barely budged, up just 0.03% while Japan's Nikkei ticked up 0.1% after a market holiday on Monday, it said.

Kenanga IB Research said Asian markets closed mostly lower yesterday as investors continue to watch the ongoing developments of the US-China trade war.

It said back home, the FBM KLCI fell 4.48 points or 0.28% to end at 1,592.93.

"Chart-wise, the underlying trend of the index remains bearish as the index remains below 50- and 100-day SMAs (simple moving averages).

"Key support levels to watch out for are 1,570 (S1) and 1,550 (S2). Conversely, overhead resistance levels can be found at 1,630 (R1) and 1,650 (R2)," it said.