KUALA LUMPUR: Shares of Dialog Group hit a record high at midday on Friday on expectations it could be included into the FBM KLCI's 30-stock index while the broader market was mixed with cosumer stocks higher and steel and aluminum producers under pressure.
At 12.30pm, the KLCI was up 4.59 points or 0.25% to 1,860.90. Turnover was 805.64 million shares valued at RM556.07mil. There were 315 gainers, 353 losers and 373 counters unchanged.
Reuters reported China stocks barely moved on Friday as gains in healthcare stocks were offset by losses in developers and banking shares. The Shanghai Composite index was up 0.12% at 3,164.22, while China's blue-chip CSI300 index was flat at 3,894.15.
Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 1.3% to 21,433.33; Taiwan's TAIEX added 0.76% to 10,928.34; South Korea's Kospi was up 0.73% to 2,454.25.
The ringgit firmed up against the US dollar by 0.21% to 3.8612.
US light crude oil rose 56 cents to US$64.94 and Brent gained 58 cents to US$69.34.
At Bursa, Dialog Group rose nine sen to RM3.05, which was a record high for the oil and gas services company.
Petronas Chemicals climbed 10 sen to RM8.25, Petronas Gas added six sen to RM17.88 and Petronas Dagangan unchanged at RM24.70.
Among the consumer stocks, Nestle climbed to a record high also, up RM2.50 to RM153.50, Ajinomoto added 74 sen to RM22.84, F&N 12 sen higher at RM33.38 and Apollo 11 sen to RM3.90.
As for the KLCI stocks, Telekom added 10 sen to RM5.31, Digi added three sen to RM4.66 and Maxis four sen to RM5.72 but Axiata fell five sen to RM5.41. TimeCom lost 11 sen to RM8.23.
Genting Bhd gained nine sen to RM8.79 and Genting Malaysia four sen to RM4.89 and Tenaga was up two sen to RM16.18.
Crude palm oil jumped RM26 to RM2,430 per tonne. IOI Corp rose two sen to RM4.80, PPB Group shed two sen to RM19.12 and KL Kepong was unchanged at RM25.58. Far East fell 53 sen to RM8.52 and United Plantations 28 sen lower at RM28.20.
Caely ralied 8.5 sen to 90 sen.
Press Metal shares and its warrants fell 15 sen each to RM4.39 and RM3.95 as aluminum and steel stocks come under pressure over US President Donald Trump's tariffs war.