KUALA LUMPUR: The FBM KLCI was slightly higher at midday as the outlook remained uncertain with the coming US elections and speculation over the depth of the next Federal Reserve rate cut.
At 12.30pm, the FBM KLCI was up 1.33 points to 1,643.87.
The broader market was nearly balanced with 464 gainers compared to 451 decliners.
The share turnover was 2.02 billion changing hands for RM1.25bil.
Of the broader market sectors, financial service led the gains followed by property and construction.
Healthcare and utilities were in the red, along with industrial products, plantations and telcos.
Blue chips on the rise included Hong Leong Bank gaining 12 sen to RM21.30, Nestle rising 90 sen to RM104.40 and Kuala Lumpur Kepong climbing six sen to RM21.12.
Meanwhile, leading gainers included MPI jumping 50 sen to RM26.80, United Plantation up 20 sen to RM26.32 and LPI Capital adding 12 sen to RM13.50.
Of actives, Ingenieur rose 0.5 sen to 5.5 sen, Dataprep slipped 1.5 sen to 15.5 sen
In regional markets, China's composite index was up 0.8% to 3,311 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 1.67% to 20,841.
Japan's Nikkei lost 0.71% to 38,137 and Singapore's Straits Times Index gained 0.45% to 3,603.
