KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 9): Bursa Malaysia ended the week higher in tandem with regional markets amid positive Wall Street performance overnight. 

At 5pm on Friday (Dec 9), the benchmark FBM KLCI stood at 1,477.19, up 11.26 points or 0.77%, from Thursday's closing at 1,465.93.

The market bellwether opened 1.97 points higher at 1,467.90, and moved in a tight range of 1,466.76 to 1,477.42 throughout the day.

Market breadth was positive, with gainers trouncing losers 578 to 390, while 370 counters were unchanged, 917 untraded, and 12 others suspended.

Turnover rose to 3.24 billion units worth RM1.94 billion, from Thursday's 3.19 billion units worth RM1.83 billion.  

Hong Leong Investment Bank Research said the KLCI may consolidate ahead of the US Federal Open Market Committee meeting on Dec 13 and 14, and a vote of confidence for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim when Parliament convenes on Dec 19.

"However, the downside risk may be cushioned by expectations of further economic reopening in China, depressed valuations on Bursa, and strengthening political stability on signing of a coalition agreement involving all parties in the unity government, coupled with expectations of year-end window dressing,” it said in a research note on Friday.

Regionally, Singapore's Straits Times Index advanced 0.16% to 3,241.20, Japan's Nikkei 225 Index rose 1.18% to 27,901.01, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index increased 2.32% to 19,900.87, while China's SSE Composite Index gained 0.30% to 3,206.95. 

On the home front, heavyweights Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank) improved seven sen to RM8.69 a share, Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd jumped 12 sen to RM8.53, CIMB Group Holdings Bhd bagged four sen to RM5.65, Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) put on 18 sen to RM9.33, IHH Healthcare Bhd soared 15 sen to RM6, and Public Bank Bhd was flat at RM4.41. 

Of the actives, Sapura Energy Bhd gained half a sen to 4.5 sen and Dataprep Holdings Bhd edged up half a sen to 31 sen, PT Resources Holdings Bhd was six sen higher at 49.5 sen, and Infomina Bhd increased three sen to RM1.12, while both Borneo Oil was unchanged at 2.5 sen and Advance Synergy Bhd was flat at 16.5 sen.  

On the index board, the FBM Emas Index increased 82.80 points to 10,607.41, the FBMT 100 Index climbed 80.20 points to 10,308.85, the FBM 70 surged 107.09 points to 12,946.22, the FBM Emas Shariah Index chalked up 98.90 points to 10,788.17, and the FBM ACE was 15.48 points higher at 5,517.50.  

Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index rose 75.22 points to 16,495.04, the Industrial Products and Services Index perked up 1.16 points to 181.59, the Plantation Index ticked down 4.91 points to 6,727.88, and the Energy Index was up 2.79 points to 777.90.

The Main Market volume declined slightly to 2.05 billion shares worth RM1.51 billion, from Thursday's 2.07 billion shares worth RM1.55 billion. 

Warrant turnover improved to 375.28 million units valued at RM81.72 million, from 352.70 million units valued at RM76.10 million.

The ACE Market volume expanded to 818.50 million shares worth RM345.30 million, from 763.30 million shares worth RM209.50 million previously.  

Consumer product and service counters accounted for 300.26 million shares traded on the Main Market, followed by industrial products and services (671.53 billion), construction (53.97 million), technology (241.94 million), special purpose acquisition companies (nil), financial services (89.79 million), property (103.58 million), plantation (20.09 million), real estate investment trusts (5.02 million), closed/funds (26,000), energy (387.68 million), healthcare (91.72 million), telecommunications and media (19.61 million), transportation and logistics (42.90 million), and utilities (20.06 million).