KUALA LUMPUR: The FBM KLCI briefly rebounded but ended at its lowest since June 2024 as sentiment soured, with stocks like Sunway, YTL Power, and CIMB Group
dragging the index down.
The 30-stock index fell 9.13 points, or 0.58%, to 1,576.46, its intraday low. The index hit an intraday high of 1,585.59.
There were 400 gainers, 588 losers and 529 counters traded unchanged on the Bursa Malaysia. About 3.45 billion shares, valued at RM2.72bil, changed hands.
Dealers said investor concerns have grown ahead of the Trump administration's first day, with sentiment turning negative due to uncertainty over U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's policy plans.
Among the KLCI component stocks, 17 counters closed lower, while nine gained.
Sunway contributed the most to the index decline and had the largest move, decreasing 5.35%, or 24 sen to RM4.25. It pushed the index lower by 2.1210 points.
YTL Power lost 19 sen to RM3.81, pulling the index down by 2.23 points, while CIMB slid 13 sen to RM7.97, dragging the index lower by 1.98 points.
On the broader market, Sunway Construction fell 34 sen to RM4.35, PIE Industrial lost 27 sen to RM5.73 and Malaysian Pacific Industries declined 24 sen to RM23.22.
BLD Plantation jumped 70 sen to M11.98, SHH Resources added 23 sen to RM4.48 and F&N gained 12 sen to RM26.80.
Meanwhile, stock market data showed that foreign investors sold a net RM326mil on Monday. Local institutions and retailers were net buyers, with RM225mil and RM100mil, respectively.
On the forex market, the ringgit was up 0.21% against the US dollar at 4.5007.
The local currency has depreciated by 0.72% against the pound sterling, now at 5.4998, and by 0.19% against the Singapore dollar at 3.2871.
Elsewhere in the region, Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 1.83%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index rose 1.83%, South Korea’s Kospi ended up 0.31%, and China’s CSI 300 Index gained 2.63%.
