KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 20): Bursa Malaysia ended Friday's morning trading session marginally lower, in line with regional peers, with selling mostly in lower liners amid weak market sentiment.

At lunch break, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) eased 0.89 of-a-point to 1.441.77 from Thursday’s closing of 1,442.66.

The index, which opened 0.69 of-a-point higher at 1,443.35, moved between 1,438.36 and 1,443.75 during the session.

On the broader market, decliners outpaced gainers 517 to 240, while 409 counters were unchanged, 1,191 untraded and nine suspended.

Turnover stood at 2.07 billion units worth RM831.67 million.

Malacca Securities Sdn Bhd said that on the local front, the overall market condition might weaken, translating into a broad-based selldown in view of Wall Street’s negative tone overnight and worsening geopolitical tension in the Middle East.

“Technology stocks may be in focus today as sentiment was negative with Tesla’s weaker results.

"We think the energy sector could trade higher on the back of firmer crude oil prices,” it said in a note on Friday.

Tesla stock tumbled on Thursday following a sharp drop in profits in the third quarter.

Regionally, Singapore's Straits Times Index eased 0.06% to 3,097.68, Japan’s Nikkei 225 slid 0.14% to 31,388.03, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index trimmed 0.41% to 17,225.82, China’s SSE Composite edged down 0.27% to 2,997.22, while South Korea’s Kospi dipped 1.12% to 2,388.77.

Back home, Bursa heavyweights Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd fell 19 sen to RM7.29, Tenaga Nasional Bhd lost 11 sen to RM9.87, IHH Healthcare Bhd slipped one sen to RM5.94, while Malayan Banking Bhd was flat at RM8.96 and CIMB Group Holdings Bhd was unchanged at RM5.58.

Of the actives, PUC Bhd added one sen to 5.5 sen, Aldrich Resources Bhd gained one sen to four sen, Asdion Bhd bagged 2.5 sen to 10.5 sen, Saudee Group Bhd was flat at three sen, while Bina Puri Holdings Bhd eased half-a-sen to 6.5 sen.

On the index board, the FBM Emas Index decreased 13.4 points to 10,628.04, the FBMT 100 Index shed 10.59 points to 10,303.69, the FBM Emas Shariah Index declined 29.48 points to 10,880.07, the FBM 70 Index fell 32.9 points to 13,982.6, and the FBM ACE Index dipped 9.58 points to 5,096.32.

Sector-wise, the Industrial Products and Services Index was 1.9 points easier at 172.98, the Plantation Index slid 29.57 points to 6,908.73, while the Financial Services Index rose 26.32 points to 16,167.61, and the Energy Index gained 8.28 points to 882.97.