KUALA LUMPUR (March 14): Healthcare counters on Bursa Malaysia piqued investors' interest in morning trade on Monday (March 14) as they weighed in on continuous prevalent Covid-19 cases. 

As at 10.35am, glove makers made up the top five gainers on the Bursa Healthcare Index, which rose the highest in terms of percentage compared to the other indices. 

The index, which peaked at a high of 2,046.41 points, has since pared down slightly but was still up at 2.34% or 46.67 at 2,043.90.

Top Glove Corp Bhd, Supermax Corp Bhd, Careplus Group Bhd, Kossan Rubber Industries Bhd and Hartalega Holdings Bhd made up the top five gainers on the index. 

Top Glove rose 11 sen or 6.59% to RM1.78, Supermax gained eight sen or 7.55% to RM1.14, Careplus jumped nine and a half sen or 16.38% to 67.5 sen, Kossan grew eight sen or 4.37% to RM1.91 and Hartalega surged 28 sen or 6.51% to RM4.58.

Other Healthcare Index component stocks were also on the rise, such as Adventa Bhd which climbed nine and a half sen or 11.18% to 90 sen, while Pharmaniaga Bhd was up half a sen or 0.68% to 74 sen. 

According to a Reuters report on Monday, mainland China reported 1,807 new symptomatic Covid-19 cases on Sunday, the highest daily figure in two years and more than triple the caseload of the previous day, as surging infections in a north-eastern province squeezed health resources.

Meanwhile, a Bloomberg report said that the relentless sell-off of Chinese technology stocks continued in Hong Kong on Monday as a lockdown in Shenzhen added to investor angst over geopolitical and regulatory risks.