KUALA LUMPUR: Blue chips slipped into the red at midday on Tuesday, dragged down by profit taking of IHH Healthcare and Digi, in tandem with the cautious key Asian markets, but the ringgit firmed up against the US dollar.
At 12.30pm, the FM KLCI was down 2.77 points or 0.16% to 1,775.88. Turnover was 1.86 billion shares valued at RM1.62bil. The broader market was mixed with 382 losers, 395 gainers and 433 counters unchanged.
Asia-Pacific equities gave up earlier gains as a rally in Japan melted away and Chinese shares retreated. Oil climbed above US$49 a barrel and the dollar weakened for a fifth straight day, Bloomberg reported.
The ringgit rose 0.33% against the US dollar to 4.3142 from 4.3288, it advanced 0.55% against the pound sterling to 5.5686 from 5.5993 and added 0.18% versus the Singapore dollar to 3.0862 from 3.0917. However, it slipped 0.16% against the euro to 4.7413 from 4.7407.
IHH Healthcare fell 22 sen to RM5.95 and erased 2.98 points from the KLCI ahead of the release of its financial results. Tenaga lost eight sen to RM13.92 and wiped out 0.74 of a point but MISC added 12 sen to RM7.67.
Digi fell 11 sen to RM5 and wiped out 1.4 points, Telekom and Maxis shed one sen each to RM6.47 and RM6.56 while Axiata added one sen to RM5.36.
US light crude oil edged up nine cents to US$48.94 and Brent gained eight cents to US$51.90. Petronas Dagangan rose 32 sen to RM24.38, Petronas Gas 20 sen higher at RM18.78 but Petronas Chemicals shed one sen to RM7.26.
As for banks, Public Bank gained 20 sen to RM20.18, Hong Leong Bank two sen higher at RM14.06 but CIMB shed two sen to RM5.92 while Ambank and RHB Bank lost three sen each to RM5.44 and RM5.45.
Crude palm oil for third-month delivery fell RM2 to RM2,607 per tonne. Batu Kawan and United Plantations lost 18 sen each to RM18.58 and RM28 while IOI Corp slipped two sen to RM24.92 and Sime Darby one sen lower at RM9.32 but PPB Group added four sen to RM17.14. FGV rose 10 sen to RM2.02.
Cement players were also among the losers as Lafarge lost 23 sen to RM6.20 and CMSB 12 sen down to RM4.38.
IW City rose 22 sen to RM2.35 in active trade, riding on the hopes of its parent company being included in the Bandar Malaysia. Ekovest was flat RM1.34.
GDex rose 13 sen to RM2.95 on rising interest in the logistics company.
Among the key regional markets,
Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 0.2% to 19,909.74;
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index lost 0.25% to 25,308.29;
CSI 300 shed 0.07% to 3,396.65;
Shanghai’s Composite Index lost 0.34% to 3,079.74;
Hang Seng China Enterprise lost 0.58% to 10,389.25;
Taiwan’s Taiex fell 0.26% to 10,010.23;
South Korea’s Kospi inched up 0.21% to 2,295.48 and
Singapore’s Straits Times Index lost 0.98% to 3,232.31.
Spot gold rose US$3 to US$1,233.82.
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