KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 11): The FBM KLCI looked set to end the day in the positive zone as regional markets traded mixed, lifted by gains including at Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) and IHH Healthcare Bhd.

At 12.30pm, the FBM KLCI was up 2.35 points to 1,564.14. The index had earlier slipped to a low of 1,558.76.

Losers led gainers by 274 to 242, while 485 counters traded unchanged. Volume was 1.14 billion shares valued at RM682.93 million.

The top gainers included Quality Concrete Holdings Bhd, Petronas Dagangan Bhd, Hong Leong Industries Bhd, Fraser & Neave Holdings Bhd, MAHB, Batu Kawan Bhd, IHH, Teck Guan Perdana Bhd, Carlsberg Brewery Malaysia Bhd and Dayang Enterprise Holdings Bhd.

The actives included AT Systematization Bhd, TDM Bhd, WCE Holdings Bhd, FGV Holdings Bhd and Tiger Synergy Bhd.

The decliners included Panasonic Manufacturing Malaysia Bhd, Ajinomoto (M) Bhd, British American Tobacco (M) Bhd, Nestle (M) Bhd, Petronas Gas Bhd, Tenaga Nasional Bhd and Master-Pack Group Bhd.

Asian stocks drifted on Wednesday as Sino-US trade talks showed little progress ahead of a weekend deadline for the imposition of additional US tariffs, and the pound wobbled as opinion polls pointed to a tight British election on Thursday, according to Reuters.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan drifted 0.1% higher, as markets in the region wavered either side of flat. Japan's Nikkei traded 0.2% lower, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose by the same margin, it said.

Affin Hwang Capital Research said the FBM KLCI closed little changed on Tuesday, dropping 0.92 points or 0.06% to 1,561.79.

It said looking at the weekly time frame, selected key indicators are turning lower once again: moving average convergence divergence (MACD) converging back towards the Signal line, and relative strength index (RSI) & Stochastic back below 50%, now trading in bearish territories.

"These indicate that the brief rebound in the index was unsustainable and momentum remains firmly towards the downside.

"Prevailing downward trend resumes. Index to retest 1,550 in the near term," it said.