KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 25): The FBM KLCI dipped 0.23% at mid-morning today, tracking losses at regional markets, dragged by losses including at index-linked banking stocks.

At 10am, the FBM KLCI fell 3.62 points to 1,588.71.

Losers led gainers by 300 to 147, while 274 counters traded unchanged. Volume was 635.37 million shares valued at RM337.67 million.

The top losers included British American Tobacco (M) Bhd, Bintulu Port Holdings Bhd, Hong Leong Bank Bhd, Allianz Malaysia Bhd, Petronas Gas Bhd, Public Bank Bhd and Keck Seng (M) Bhd.

The actives included MTAG Group Bhd, Green Packet Bhd, Sapura Energy Bhd, Bumi Armada Bhd, Ikhmas Jaya Group Bhd, Reach Energy Bhd and Eduspec Holdings Bhd.

The gainers included Dutch Lady Milk Industries Bhd, Magni-Tech Industries Bhd, Hong Leong Financial Group Bhd, Nestle (M) Bhd and Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd.

Asian stocks fell on Wednesday after US lawmakers called for an impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, increasing the prospects of prolonged political uncertainty in the world's largest economy, according to Reuters.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was down 0.2%, Japan's Nikkei fell 0.55%, while Australian shares fell 0.66%, it said.

Hong Leong IB Research said while the market attention is focusing on the trade progress between the US and China, the political uncertainty in the US may contribute to some negative swings on Wall Street.

"Hence, we believe it may contribute towards sideways to downward bias trading tone on Wall Street, with a stiff resistance set along 27,400 on the Dow.

"We believe investors are trading on cautious tone ahead of the FTSE Russell's World Government Bond Index (WGBI) review of Malaysia bond on Sept 26 and the tabling of Budget 2020 on Oct 11.

"Meanwhile, we opine that export-driven and technology stocks will remain exciting at this juncture on the back of the weaker ringgit tone. Hence, the FBM KLCI is likely to trade along 1,580-1,620 over the near term," it said.