KUALA LUMPUR: The FBM KLCI extended its decline for a second straight day, dragged by losses at index-linked banking stocks amid mixed trading in the region.
At 5pm, the benchmark index fell 0.13 of a point to 1,448.02. The market traded within a range of eight points between an intra-day high of 1,452.60 and a low of 1,444.60 during the session.
The broader market sagged, with decliners outnumbering advancers 526 to 390 while 450 counters were unchanged. About 3.81 billion shares, valued at RM2.39bil, changed hands.
In terms of fund flows, local institutions and retailers were net buyers on Monday acquiring equities worth RM8mil and RM62mil respectively.
Foreigners emerged as net sellers with total disposal valued at RM70mil.
Among the banks, Maybank declined one sen to RM9.05, Public Bank lost two sen to RM4.22, CIMB eased seven sen to RM5.68, RHB Bank gave up six sen to RM5.51 and Hong Leong Bank slid eight sen to RM19. AmBank closed flat at RM4.05.
On the broader market, Heineken tumbled 58 sen to RM22.80, Carlsberg fell 28 sen to RM19.38, Harrisons lost 28 sen to RM8.35 and Hextar Technologies declined 20 sen to RM23.30.
Ajinomoto jumped 70 sen to RM121.60, British American Tobacco
rose 38 sen to RM9.35, United Plantations added 32 sen to RM16.82 and Rapid gained 32 sen to RM28.10.
Around the region, MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.41%.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 closed 0.12% lower at 33,408.39 while South Korea’s Kospi rose 1.05% to 2,521.76.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was down 0.98%, at 17,354.14.
China’s CSI300 index edged up 0.19% to 3,518.52, while the Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.23% to 3,038.55 points.
