KUALA LUMPUR: The FBM KLCI ended the day on a flat note as mixed sentiment weighed on buying patterns, while the ringgit hit a record low against the Singapore dollar.
At 5pm, the 30-stock index was nearly flat, closing at 1,513.11, up 0.13 of a point. The index hit an intraday high of 1,514.05 and a low of 1,510.20.
Trading volume stood at 3.15 billion units worth RM2.32bil.
Market breadth turned negative as losers overpowered the gainers on a ratio of 552-to-385 stocks.
Half of the KLCI-component stocks closed lower while 10 ended chalked up gaines while five traded unchanged.
Dealers said the performance of the local bourse was due to a lack of compelling leads. Investors are also holding back ahead of the long (Chinese New Year) weekend break.
Ringgit was quoted at 3.5437, down 0.06% against the Singapore dollar. Earlier, the local unit hit a fresh historical low of 3.5518 against the Singapore dollar.
The local unit, however, appreciated marginally against the US dollar at 4.7615. It fell 0.5% against the pound sterling at 6.0096 and down 0.18% against the euro at 5.1249.
At Bursa Malaysia, Greatech Technology was the top gainer, rising 17 sen to RM4.62. YTL Power rose 17 sen to RM4.04 and Sungei Bagan Rubber gained 16 sen to RM4.84.
Nestle was the top loser, shedding 50 sen to RM120.80, PETRONAS Dagangan fell 32 sen to RM21.48 and Telekom Malaysia declined 12 sen to RM5.82.
Reneuco, the most active counter on Bursa Malaysia tumbled 37.5%, or three sen to five sen with 236.13 million shares traded.
Bursa Securities had said in an announcement the previous day that it would suspend trading in Renueco's securities at 9 am on Feb 9, 2024, if it failed to submit its annual report for the financial year ended Sept 30, 2023, by Feb 8, 2024.
Elsewhere in the region, Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.11%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index closed down 0.34%, South Korea’s Kospi added 1.3%, China’s composite index closed up 1.44% and Singapore’s Straits Times Index rose almost 1%.
