Interest in Property Counters .

Share prices on Bursa Malaysia ended mixed yesterday amid sustained interest in selected heavyweights, dealers said. The Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (KLCI) edged up 4.5 points or 0.49 per cent to close at 923.57, pushed by gains mostly in Sime Darby and Maybank. It opened 0.33 of a point higher at 919.4.

According to MIMB Investment Bank, the market is expected to remain volatile in the near-term as it digested the deep global economic recession, global credit and banking crisis and the extraordinary policy responses.

"Thus, without fresh leads, the market will take its cue, initially from the overnight performance on Wall Street and later progress along with regional market trends," it said in a research note.

The Industrial Index went up 4.88 points to 2,131.9, the Finance Index surged 69.63 points to 7,358.06 while the Plantation Index dropped 3.01 points to 4,558.0. The FBMEmas added 25.7 points to 6,044.19, the FBM30 rose 24.28 points to 5,947.58, the FBMMesdaq decreased 26.320 points to 3,354.48 and the FBM2BRD eased 3.28 points to 3,984.76.

Gainers led losers by 231 to 214 while 224 counters were unchanged, 582 untraded and 29 others suspended. Volume rose to 574.572 million shares worth RM896.536 million compared to last Friday's 414.903 million shares worth RM605.903 million. The volume on the main board increased to 511.633 million shares worth RM685.033 million compared to last Friday's close of 355.230 million units valued at RM596.406 million.

Turnover on the second board rose to 19.942 million units worth RM5.927 million from 26.651 million units worth RM4.969 million previously. The volume on the Mesdaq market went up 14.3 million shares valued at RM3.321 million from last Friday's close of 6.509 million units valued at RM1.997 million. For the top gainers, Tanjong moved 50 sen to RM14.20, Petronas Dagangan rose 30 sen to RM7.70 and Public Bank increased 20 sen to RM9.00.

For the actives, KNM was flat at 50.570. Bumiputra-Commerce and IOI Corp were also flat at RM7.00 and RM4.00, respectively. The KLCI futures contracts on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives closed lower on lack of fresh leads.

Spot month January 2009 dropped 5.5 points to 922.5, February 2009 declined 4.0 points to 921.0, March 2009 declined 4.5 points to 918.0 and June 2009 was 4.0 points lower at 901.5. Turnover fell to 5,495 lots from the 7,155 lots Friday while open interests rose to 22,405 contracts from 21,131 contracts previously. - Bernama

Article from Business Times.com