KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 5): Bursa Malaysia closed lower on Monday (Sept 5) as investors seemed reluctant to make more significant moves due to the absence of buying catalysts, amid the weaker regional market performance, a dealer said.

At 5pm, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) fell 1.38 points or 0.09% to 1,489.8 from Friday’s close of 1,491.18.

The key index opened 0.85 of-a-point better at 1,492.03, and moved between 1,486.79 and 1,494.81 throughout the trading session. 

On the broader market, decliners outpaced advancers 499 to 367, while 389 counters were unchanged, 1,031 untraded, and 19 others suspended.

Total turnover fell to 2.08 billion units worth RM1.25 billion from 2.18 billion units worth RM1.57 billion last Friday.

Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice president of equity research Thong Pak Leng said the market sentiment remained cautious despite the persistent net inflow from foreign funds which topped RM8.1 billion year-to-date. 

"Given the increasing market volatility globally, we anticipate the FBM KLCI to trend in greater range, hovering at the 1,470-1,500 level for the week,” he told Bernama.

Regionally, he said most key indices trended lower as investors remained concerned over the global economic outlook, amid the energy crisis in Europe and reports of fresh Covid-19 related lockdowns in China.

Back home, heavyweights Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank) gained one sen to RM8.94, Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd added five sen to RM8.82, while IHH Healthcare Bhd, too, rose five sen to RM6.20. Public Bank Bhd was flat at RM4.67, and CIMB Group Holdings Bhd lost two sen to RM5.48.

Of the actives, SNS Network Technology Bhd slid half-a-sen to 26 sen, and Focus Dynamics Group Bhd, also, slipped half-a-sen to 1.5 sen. Vortex Consolidated Bhd stood at 16.5 sen, followed by Aimflex Bhd at 12.5 sen, as both counters were flat. Jade Marvel Group Bhd added 2.5 sen to 29 sen.

On the index board, the FBM Emas Index lost 1.76 points to 10,553.77, the FBMT 100 Index slid 1.73 points to 10,308.03, the FBM ACE slipped 46.53 points to 4,760.15, the FBM Emas Shariah Index declined 3.68 points to 10,595.94, while the FBM 70 rose 29.33 points to 12,590.48.

Sector-wise, the Plantation Index was 43.74 points higher at 7,001.58, the Industrial Products and Services Index firmed 1.05 points to 181.27, the Energy Index increased 3.66 points to 700.73, and the Financial Services Index rose 6.81 points to 16,770.82.

The Main Market volume fell to 1.13 billion shares worth RM996.74 million from 1.16 billion shares worth RM1.25 billion on Friday.

Warrants turnover widened to 258.23 million units valued at RM42.74 million from 197.21 million units valued at RM32.4 million previously.

The ACE Market volume decreased to 694.6 million shares worth RM212.1 million from 818.7 million shares worth RM291.65 million last Friday.

Consumer products and services counters accounted for 169.16 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products and services (293.66 million), construction (55.07 million), technology (101.46 million), SPAC (nil), financial services (37.45 million), property (161.67 million), plantation (16.74 million), REITs (4.38 million), closed/fund (1,000), energy (153.78 million), healthcare (78.66 million), telecommunications and media (11.71 million), transportation and logistics (28.36 million), and utilities (19.8 million).