KLCI falls as eurozone woes grip global markets

KUALA LUMPUR (May 9): The FBM KLCI fell on Wednesday as concerns over the economic and political direction of several eurozone countries kept regional and global investors on tenterhooks.

The FBM KLCI lost 5.70 points to close at 1,584.90, weighed down by losses at blue chips.

Losers outpaced gainers by 450 to 273, while 313 counters traded unchanged. Volume was 1.28 billion shares valued at RM1.42 billion.

Asian bourses were mired in the red as Greece struggled to form a government two days after an election, heightening the risk that a hard-won bailout deal could be scrapped, according to Reuters.

Meanwhile, European shares edged lower on Wednesday as a technical rebound from four-month lows was offset by falls among Spanish banks, which were dragged by fears they would be forced to raise money to cover their property assets, said Reuters.

Technical momentum was supportive after key indexes in the US and Europe closed above support levels on Tuesday, sending a bullish short-term signal despite still-depressed market sentiment as a political impasse in Greece threatened to deepen the eurozone crisis, it said.

At the regional markets, the Shanghai Composite Index lost 1.65% to 2,408.59, Japan's Nikkei 225 lost 1.49% to 9,045.06, Taiwan’s Taiex fell 0.93% to 7,475.71, South Korea’s Kospi lost 0.85% to 1,950.29, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index shed 0.75% to 20,330.64 and Singapore’s Straits Times Index fell 1.06% to 2,900.91.

On Bursa Malaysia, BAT fell 64 sen to RM55.04, Petronas Dagangan and HLFG lost 24 sen each to RM19.70 and RM11.94, MISC 13 sen to RM4.46, PPB, MMHE and Aeon 12 sen each to RM16.60, RM4.88 and RM9.75 respectively, MSM 11 sen to RM5.20, IJM Corp 10 sen to RM5.44 and BLD PLANTATION []s fell nine sen to RM8.81.

Naim Indah Corp was the most actively traded counter with 80.2 million shares done. The stock was unchanged at 49 sen.

Other actives included Ingenuity Solutions, Metronic, Permaju, Harvest Court, Focus, Ariantec, Astral Supreme and CBSA.

Gainers included Tahps, GCE, GAB, Panasonic, Nadayu, YHS, KGB, Ajinomoto, Tasek and Sunway.



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KLCI remains in the red at mid-day as Asian markets slide

KUALA LUMPUR (May 9): The FBM KLCI remained in the red at the mid-day break on Wednesday in line with the slump at key regional markets, following the overnight fall at Wall Street.

At 12.30pm, the FBM KLCI was down 3.04 points to 1,587.56, weighed by select blue chips.

Losers beat gainers by 386 to 207, while 286 counters traded unchanged. Volume was 692.41 million shares valued at RM558.87 million.

The ringgit weakened by 0.34% to 3.0675 versus the greenback, crude palm oil futures fell RM6 per tonne to RM3,334, crude oil fell 35 cents per barrel to US$96.66 while gold lost US$14 an ounce to US$1,591.48.

Shares, gold and oil fell and the euro remained pressured on Wednesday as Greece struggled to form a government two days after an election, heightening the risk that a hard-won bailout deal could be scrapped, according to Reuters.

Radical leftist Alexis Tsipras meets the leaders of Greece's mainstream parties on Wednesday to try to form a coalition government, an effort seen as doomed after he demanded that pledges made in exchange for an European Union/International Monetary Fund rescue package be torn up, it said.

Officials estimate Greece could run out of money as soon as next month if it does not stick to the aid package terms, which kept the country solvent and in the single currency bloc, said Reuters.

At the regional markets, Japan’s Nikkei 225 lost 1.62% to 9,032.78, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 0.94% to 20,292.00, the Shanghai Composite Index fell 1.33% to 2,416.28, Taiwan’s Taiex shed 0.86% to 7,480.85, South Korea’s Kospi fell 1.10% to 1,945.31 and Singapore’s Straits Times Index shd 0.65% to 2,912.84.

On Bursa Malaysia, BAT fell 48 sen to RM55.20, F&N down 16 sen to RM18.88, Petronas Dagangan 14 sen to RM19.80, Sarawak PLANTATION []s and MSM lost 11 sen each to RM2.92 and RM5.20, Sarawak Oil Palms and Iretex down 10 sen each to RM6.56 and RM1.20, while BLD Plantations and IJM Corp fell nine sen each to RM8.81 and RM5.45.

Harvest Court was the most actively traded counter with 48.1 million shares done. The stock fell half a sen to 70.5 sen.

Other actives included Permaju, Metronic, Ingenuity Solutions, Naim Indah Corp, Ariantec, Focus, CBSA and Perisai.

Gainers in the morning session on Wednesday included GAB, KGB, Cybertowers, MTD ACPI, Rubberex, United Plantations, Sunway, Ajinomoto, Mercury and Kawan Food.



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Tenaga, blue chips lift KLCI

KUALA LUMPUR (April 12): The FBM KLCI closed higher on Thursday, lifted by gains at blue chips including Tenaga, Genting PLANTATION []s and Petronas Dagangan.

The FBM KLCI gained 4.10 points to close at 1,601.27.

Losers edged gainers by 366 to 360, while 321 counters traded unchanged. Volume was 1.11 billion shares valued at RM1.60 billion.

At the regional markets, most of the bourses reversed earlier losses as the Shanghai Composite Index rose more than 1.8%.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong shares rose on Thursday lifted by the rally in mainland markets on the back of reports of proposals to boost economic development in Shenzen as well as optimism of easier monetary policy following GDP data due later in the week, according to Reuters.

The euro neared a one-week high against the dollar and European bond markets steadied on Thursday as investors awaited an Italian debt sale that will show whether concerns over Spain are spreading to other debt-laden euro zone nations, it said.

At the regional markets, the Shanghai Composite Index rose 1.82% to 2,350.86, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index added 0.93% to 20,327.32,Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 0.70% to 9.524.79, Taiwan’s Taiex edged up 0.08% to 7,662.92, whiel South Korea’s Kospi fell 0.39% to 1,986.63.

On Bursa Malaysia, Jaya Tiasa was the top gainer and rose 44 sen to RM8.99, SMPC up 34 sen to RM1.48, Tradewinds Plantations gained 19 sen to RM5.90, Cybertowers and Sarawak Oil Palms up 16 sen each to 75 sen and RM6.88, Genting Plantations and Brahims 15 sen each to RM9.67 and RM1.33, while Tenaga, Bat and United Plantations rose 14 sen each to RM6.51, RM54.84 and RM24.90 respectively.

Among the decliners, Warisan fell 30 sen to RM2.20, GAB down 22 sen to RM12.64, KLK 18 sen to RM24.32, BLD Plantations 16 sen to RM9.23, Panasonic, Manulife, Top Glove and LPI down 12 sen each to RM21.50, RM3.25, RM4.20 and RM13.80 respectively, RHB Capital fell 11 sen to RM7.36 and Shangri-La lost 10 sen to RM2.98.

The actives included JCY, Tiger Synergy, Asia Bio, Metronic, Ariantec and CSL.



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KLCI closes higher, but stays shy of 1,600-mark

KUALA LUMPUR (APRIL 10): The FBM KLCI closed higher on Tuesday, but stayed shy of the 1600-point mark as investor sentiment appeared to be cautious given the concerns over data that came from the US and China.

Regional markets were mostly mixed on Tuesday, as investors remained cautious after Chinese trade data showed the world's second largest economy may be able to achieve a soft landing but global growth concerns lingered given the sharp slowdown in U.S. job creation, according to Reuters.

Meanwhile, European stocks posted sharp early losses on Tuesday and German government bond yields hit their lowest levels since September, as investors returning from a holiday weekend cut their exposure to risky assets after surprisingly weak March U.S. jobs data, it said.

The FBM KLCI rose 5.89 points to 1,597.17. It had earlier risen to its intra-day high of 1,598.53.

Gainers overtook losers by 365 to 332, while 33 counters traded unchanged. Volume was 1.11 billion shares valued at RM1.58 billion.

The worries about the health of the giant U.S. economy overshadowed positive trade numbers from Germany and China, with both nations enjoying strong export growth, although weak Chinese import numbers took some of the gloss off the data, said Reuters.

At the regional markets, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 1.15% to 20,356.24, Japan’s Nikkei 225 shed 0.09% to 9,538.02, and South Korea’s Kospi was down 0.13% to 1,994.41.

The Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.88% to 2,305.86, Taiwan’s Taiex gained 0.52% to 7,640.68 and Singapore’s Straits Times Index up 0.59% to 2,977.70.

On Bursa Malaysia, Country View was the top gainer and rose 29.5 sen to 95.5 sen, Tradewinds PLANTATION []s added 26 sen to RM5.71, Genting rose 24 sen to RM11.08, Tradewinds added 24 sen to RM10.16, Batu Kawan 20 sen to RM18.74, BLD Plantations 19 sen to RM9.39, Chin Teck 14 sen to RM9.20, KPJ and SMPC up 13 sen each to RM5.29 and RM2.49, while Carlsberg added 12 sen to RM10.86.

Naim Indah Corp was the most actively traded counter with 69.82 million shares done. The stock gained one sen to 54 sen.

Other actives included DiGi, Metronic, KBES, Tiger Synergy, CSL, DPS, Ariantec and Managed Pay.

Meanwhile, decliners included Aeon, Sarawak Oil Palms, GBH, Advanced Packaging, GAB, Amtek, Malpac, Panasonic, UAC and Inno.



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KLCI falls in tandem with regional markets

KUALA LUMPUR (April 9): A slew of negative external developments weighed down investor sentiment at the local bourse, and the FBM KLCI closed in the red on Monday.

Asian shares fell on Monday as a sharp slowdown in U.S. jobs growth raised concerns about the strength of the world's largest economy, prompting investors to curb risk exposure ahead of more U.S. data and earnings as well as figures from China this week, according to Reuters.

China stocks fell 0.9 percent on Monday, led by property firms, after data showed the inflation rate rose more than expected last month, prompting speculation that Beijing may delay further easing of monetary policy, it said.

The FBM KLCI closed 7.59 points lower at 1,591.28.

Market breadth was negative with 468 losers, 238 gainers and 322 counters trading unchanged. Volume was 1.08 billion shares valued at RM1.08 billion.

At the regional markets, Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 1.47% to 9.546.26, the Shanghai Composite index was down 0.90% to 2,285.78, south Korea’a Kospi fell 1.57% to 1,997.08, Taiwan’s Taiex was fell 1.27% to 7,600.87 and Singapore’ Straits Times Index shed 0.87% to 2,960.10.

On Bursa Malaysia, BAT was the top loser and fell 74 sen to RM54.72, KrisAssets down 21 sen to RM6.67, BLD PLANTATION []s and Toyo Ink fell 20 sen each to RM9.20 and RM1.47, Panasonic and Petronas Dagangan down 18 sen each to RM21.70 and RM18.66, TDM and KLK lost 14 sen each to RM4.81 and RM24.50, while GAB and Petronas Gas were down 12 sen each to RM12.96 and RM16.66.

Naim Indah Corp was the most actively traded counter with 113.6 million shares done. The stock fell four sen to 53 sen.

Other actives included Metronic, DVM, EITA, Managed Pay, SuperComNet, Tiger Synergy and Focus.

Gainers included Aeon, SMPC, Milux, Kluang, Hong Leong Industries, Nationwide, Tanjung Offshore, Parkson, UMS and Nestle.



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FBM KLCI slips at mid-day break, but hovers above 1,590-level

KUALA LUMPUR (April 9): The FBM KLCI slipped into negative territory on Monday, in line with the waning sentiment at key regional markets, following a drop in US jobs growth that was reported last week.

Among the better performers on Bursa Malaysia in the morning session was newly-listed EITA Resources Bhd.

The FBM KLCI lost 4.66 points to 1,594.21 at 12.30pm.

Market breadth was weaker with 378 losers and 185 gainers, while 264 counters traded unchanged. Volume was 578.5 million shares valued at RM420.14 million.

The ringgit weakened 0.29% to 3,0728 versus the US dollar; crude palm oil futures for the third month delivery rose M13 per tonne to RM3,590, crude oil fell US$1.19 per barrel to US$101.12 while gold added US$2.05 an ounce to US$1,638.47.

Asian shares fell on Monday as a sharp slowdown in U.S. jobs growth raised concerns about the strength of the world's largest economy, prompting investors to curb risk exposure ahead of more U.S. data and earnings as well as figures from China this week, according to Reuters.

BIMB Securities Research in a note Monday said it would be a stop start scenario for equities this week following a weaker than expected job data for March in the US.

Therefore, investors and traders alike will reassess their risk/reward propositions before making more commitments, it said.

As of now, the lack of fresh catalysts will be the main excuse as well as the resurrection of Eurozone’s debt situation to be road bumps ahead for equity markets.

Then again, if both the US and China are to lean towards monetary easing, these may set the markets abuzz again.

For now, we can expect loads of fence sitters.

“Locally, the FBM KLCI failed to breach the 1,600 mark despite adding another 5 points to end the week at almost 1,599.

“For now, the lack of direction with some regional markets closed, we would expect a lacklustre market today with the immediate support seen at 1,590,” it said.

ON Bursa Malaysia, BAT fell 74 sen to RM54.72, Petronas Dagangan 30 sen to RM18.54, BLD PLANTATION []s fell 19 sen to RM9.21, KLK down 14 sen to RM24.50, GAB and Public Bank lost 12 sen each to RM12.96 and RM13.68, Chin Teck lost nine sen to RM9.06 while TDM was down eight sen to RM4.87.

Naim Indah Corp was the most actively traded counter with 81.28 million shares done. The stock fell three sen to 54 sen.

Other actives included EITA that rose 10.5 sen to 86.5 sen wth 30 millin shares traded.

Other actively traded stocks included DVM, Tiger Synergy, Time, SuperComNet, Metronic, Karambunai and Focus.

Gainers included Aeon, SMPC, KLuang, Dutch Lady, Eita, Hartalega, Nationwide, Parkson, Johore Tin and Nestle.



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KLCI closes higher but some pullback expected next week

KUALA LUMPUR (April 6): The FBM KLCI closed higher on Friday, while the few regional markets that were open for trade ended the day in negative territory, as investors stayed on the sidelines ahead of key U.S. jobs data.

China shares ended up 0.2 percent in thin volume on Friday, moving around a key psychological level as investors awaited a slew of economic data next week which could signal possible policy changes, according to Reuters.

The FBM KLCI closed 5.43 points higher at 1,598.87.

Gainers led losers by 457 to 248, while 324 counters traded unchanged. Volume was 1.28 billion shares valued at RM1.14 billion.

At the regional markets, the Shanghai Composite Index added 0.19% to 2,306.55, Taiwan’s Taiex gained 0.87% to 7,706.26, south Korea’s Kospi edged up 0.01% to 2,029.03 while Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.81% to 9,688.45.

Affin Investment Bank Bhd vice president and head of retail research Dr Nazri Khan said the FBM KLCI was now ripe for a pullback towards a lower sideways range of 1580-1600 level.

“We reckon the equity optimism will take a mild negative turn following a surprised absence of USA stimulus and Spanish revived fiscal concerns with the bond yields climbing to their highest level in five month (Spanish 10-Year bond rose to 5.8%).

“This has stoked concerns regarding the European debt crisis, boosted safe-haven appeal of the USA dollar and weighed on local risk-taking sentiment,” he said.

DR Nazri said he also expects the bullish sentiment to take a pause after the Federal Reserve meeting minutes earlier this week indicated reduced prospects for more quantitative easing.

ON Bursa Malaysia, BAT was the top gainer and added 48 sen to RM55.46, Dutch Lady added 30 sen to RM35.80, Tradewinds PLANTATION []s and BLD Plantations rose 25 sen each to RM5.44 and RM9.40, Tradewinds up 18 sen to RM9.97, TDM 17 sen to RM4.95, SMPC and Naim Holdings 15 sen each to RM2.12 and RM2.05, Mulpha 14 sen to 60 sen and MAHB 13 sen to RM5.89.

Naim Indah Corp was the most actively traded counter with 149.52 million shares done. The stock rose 8.5 sen to 57 sen.

Other actives included Metronic, SuperComNet, Ariantec, CSL, Focus, Tiger Synergy, Green Ocean, Ingenuity Solutions and TMS.

Decliners included F&N, Batu Kawan, Shell, HUp Seng, Hong Leong Industries, Takaful, HDBS, Aeon and Tiong Nam Logistics.



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KLCI edges lower at mid-morning as regional markets dip

KUALA LUMPUR (March 29): the FBM KLCI edged lower on Thursday in line with the weaker sentiment at key regional markets, following the sharp decline at the Shanghai Composite Index a day earlier.

Asian shares eased for a second day in a row on Thursday, as investors limited their risk exposures on concerns about growth prospects in the world's two largest economies, the United States and China, according to Reuters.

Commodity related assets were likely to be on the defensive after oil and copper fell the previous day, while a sharp decline in Chinese shares will weigh on the Australian dollar, as China is Australia's single largest export market, it said.

The FBM KLCI was down 0.29 of a point to 1,583.46 at 10am. Gainers trailed losers by 143 ti 208, while 238 counters traded unchanged. Volume was 356.91 million shares valued at RN160.94 million.

At the regional markets, Japan’s Nikkei fell 0.88% to 10,093.20, Hong Kong’Hang Seng Index lost 1.13% to 20,649.60, the Shanghai Composite Index shed 0.75% to 2,267.81, Taiwan’s taiex lost 1.83% to 7,890.95, South Korea’s Kospi fell 1.26% to 2,006.14 and Singapore’s Straits Times Index fell 0.54% to 2,999.55.

BIMB Securities Research in a note March 29 said equity markets ended lower (on March 28) amid a directionless trading day.

With no new developments, traders revisited “old” concerns of slowing global economy to justify their selling on oil and commodities related stocks, it said.

“As a consequence, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped almost 72 points to 13,126. Reflecting the less than optimistic sentiments, European bourses also succumbed to the selling pressure and closed yesterday’s session broadly lower,” it said.

The research house said Asian equities followed suit with only a handful managed to close on a positive territory.

Taking cue from a weaker regional performance, the FBM KLCI lost 4 points to just below the immediate 1,585 support at 1,583.75, it said.

“Meanwhile, we again saw a net foreign participation of RM132 million yesterday pushing year-to-date total to RM4.67billion.

“Although the amount is not huge, foreign funds have been trickling in continuously for the month of March with a cumulative amount of a whopping RM2.8 billion. We expect some market weakness today with the immediate support at 1,580,” it said.

On Bursa Malaysia, GAB was the top loser at mid-morning and fell 16 sen to RM13.08, BLD PLANTATION []s down 15 sen to RM9.25, RHB Capital nine sen to RM&.81, Hong Leong Bank, Panasonic and Tenaga fell eight sen each to RM12.14, RM21.92 and RM6.34 respectively, SBC Corp seven sen to 91 sen, while Nestle, KrisAssets and HLFG fell six sen each to RM55.90, RM6.94 and RM12.22 respectively.

Naim Indah Corp was the most actively traded counter wit h 47.23 million shares done. The stock rose 1.5 sen to 49.5 sen.

Other actives included SuperComnet, Ariantec, metronic, Iris Corp, Key West, Hubline warrants and Bintai.

Gainers included Dutch Lady, BAT, Toyo Ink, shell, Crescendo, MUH, Southern acids, UAC and MISC.



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KLCI slips into the red at closing

KUALA LUMPUR (March 13): The FBM KLCI slipped into negative territory in late trade on Tuesday, weighed by losses at select blue chips including banking stocks, MISC and Tenaga as the pullback from Monday did not seem to be over as investors turned cautious.

The FBM KLCI closed 0.73 of a point lower at 1,564.02. Losers beat gainers by 469 to 288, while 329 counters traded unchanged. Volume was 1.16 billion shares valued at RM1.47 billion.

At the regional markets, the Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.19% to 2,434.86. However, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index rose 0.97% to 21,339.70, Japan’s Nikkei 225 added 0.09% to 9,899.08, Singapore’s Straits Times Index 0.89% to 2,988.57, South Korea’s Kospi 1.13% to 2,025.04 and Taiwan’s Taiex 1.31% higher at 8,031,51.

European shares gained on Tuesday on hopes German and U.S. data will support rising hopes of an economic recovery ahead of a monetary policy statement by the Federal Reserve, according to Reuters.

Among the decliners on Bursa Malaysia, United PLANTATION []s fell 16 sen to RM24.82, MISC, Tasek, Advanced Packaging, lost 15 sen each to RM5.10, RM8.60 and RM1.30 while Tenaga was down 13 sen to RM6.32.

BLD Plantations and Panasonic lost 12 sen each to RM9.18 and RM22.08, while Padini and Oriental Holdings fell 11 sen each to RM1.45 and RM6.13.

Among banking stocks, Public Bank fell eight sen to RM13.66, BIMB down six sen to RM2.27, Hong Leong Bank four sen to RM12.10, CIMB three sen to RM7.26 and RHB Capital one sen to RM7.79.

Naim Indah Corp was the most active with 176.5 million shares done. The stock fell four sen to 78.5 sen.

Other actives included IFCA MSC, Takaso, Winsun, YTL, HWGB, Silver Bird, and XDL.

Meanwhile, gainers included BAT, Sin Heng Chan, Euro Holdings, TSH, Petronas Chemicals, Tradewinds Plantations and Manulife.



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KLCI advances but broader market lacklustre

KUALA LUMPUR (March 1): Blue chips advanced in the morning session on Thursday, underpinned by gains in BAT and Sime Darby but the overall market was lacklustre as trading volume shrunk.

At 12.30pm, the FBM KLCI was up 4.73 points to 1,574.38. Turnover was 853.20 million shares done valued at RM924.78 million, reflecting the decline in retail participation. There were 269 gainers, 411 losers and 315 stocks unchanged.

Consumer-related stocks were again the top gainers. BAT rose 86 sen to RM53.06, Nestle 30 sen to RM56.10 and Guinness Anchor 28 sen to RM13.40.

Sime Darby added 20 sen to RM9.89 after posting a strong set of results in the second quarter.

Among the smaller cap stocks, Dijaya Corp rose 21 sen to RM1.63 and the warrants 14.5 sen to 64 sen.

China Stationery Ltd fell 18 sen to RM1.20 with 52.15 million shares done. This was the biggest decline since its listing last Thursday. Its offer price was 95 sen.

Silver Bird was in focus, falling 20 sen to 20.5 sen in active trade when it resumed trading.

Among the decliners were Carlsberg, down 26 sen to RM10.14, Far East 19 sen to RM7.11, NSOP 14 sen to RM5.94,BLD PLANTATION []s nine sen to RM9.14 and Kulim nine sen also to RM4.44.



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Market cautious, Sime provides lift to KLCI

KUALA LUMPUR (March 1): The broader market was cautious in late morning trade on Thursday following higher than expected losses from MAS and Proton and mixed regional markets.

However, heavyweight Sime Darby provided the lift to the FBM KLCI after its stronger set of second quarter results.

At 10.43am, the KLCI was up 4.87 points to 1,574.52. Turnover was 502.99 million shares valued at RM481.83 million. There were 226 gainers, 320 losers and 291 stocks unchanged.

Sime Darby rose 14 sen to RM9.83 with 10.80 million shares done. BAT gained 70 sen to RM52.90, GAB 26 sen to RM13.38, Petronas Dagangan 18 sen to RM18.34, Dijaya Corp 13 sen to RM1.55 and Petronas Gas 12 sen to Rm16.92.

Tecnic was the top loser, down 20 sen to RM3.81 while Silver Bird lost 17.5 sen to 23 sen and CSL 14 sen to RM1.24.

Among the PLANTATION []s, Far East lost 19 sen to RM7.11 in thin trade, NSOP 18 sen to RM5.90 and BLD Plantations 13 sen to RM9.37.



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BLD Plantations 4Q earnings up 9.6% to RM25.1m

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 29): PLANTATION [] company, BLD Plantations Bhd recorded an increase of 9.6% to RM25.13 million for its fourth quarter ended Dec 31, 2011, from RM22.93 million a year ago, on the back of increased sales and higher selling prices.

It said on Wednesday, revenue increased by 19.4% to RM489.56 million from RM409.93 million. Earnings per share were 29.57 sen compared to 26.98 sen.

BLD Plantations said the increased sales under its refinery and kernel crushing arm and higher average selling prices of its products help boost revenue.

For its financial year ended Dec 31, 2011, revenue was up 44.26% to RM1.897 billion from RM1.315 billion. Profit jumped 67.2% to RM101.33 million from RM60.61 million.



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China Stationery in focus, KLCI closes higher

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 24): China Stationery Ltd (CSL) was in focus on Friday when it made its debut on Bursa Malaysia on Friday, closing 15.8% higher amid some profit-taking activities in the broader market.

CSL closed up 15 sen to RM1.10 and it was the most active stock with 154 million shares traded.

The stationery manufacturer's initial public offering, priced at 95 sen per share, raised RM85.50 million from its public issue of 90 million new shares.

As for the FBM KLCI, it closed up 2.11 points or 0.14% at 1,558.77, led Axiata (up 6.0 sen to RM5.15), YTL Corp (up 7.0 sen to RM1.49) and IOI Corp (up 6.0 sen to RM5.39). Their gains pushed the index up 3.16 points.

Turnover was 1.70 billion shares valued at RM1.94 billion. Gainers led losers 425 to 373 while 343 counters traded unchanged.

Regional markets closed higher, with the Shanghai Composite Index up 1.25% to 2,439.63, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index up 0.12% to 21,406.86, Japan's Nikkei 225 0.54% to 9,647.38, South Korea's Kospi rose 0.60% to 2,019.89, Singapore's Straits Index up 0.33% to 2,978.08 and Taiwan's Taiex, up 0.28% to 7,959.34.

Commenting on the performance of Bursa Malaysia, Dr Nazri Khan, vice president of retail research at Affin Investment Bank Research said:

"We see the last three profit taking days (Wednesday to Friday) as a healthy correction to neutralise its overbought momentum.

"We also note that the strong ringgit performance (1.1% weekly gain and 4.5% year to date gain) as positive signs of more inflow for the local equities.”

At Bursa Malaysia, top gainers included British American Tobacco up 44 sen to RM52.56, Panasonic Malaysia up 42 sen to RM21.00 and Dutch Lady up 28 sen to RM25.80.

Losers were led by PLANTATION [] stocks such as BLD Plantation down 39 sen to RM9.51 and United Plantation down 34 sen to RM23.84. Oriental Holdings fell 27 sen to RM6.07, MBM Resources also 27 sen lower at RM4.62 and Genting 26 sen to RM10.46.



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KL shares mixed at midafternoon

Share prices on Bursa Malaysia were mixed at midafternoon today, prompted by gains in blue-chips, dealers said.

At 3pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 1.93 points to 1.562.50, after opening 2.41 points higher at 1,562.98.

In a statement today, Hong Leong Investment Bank said amid fresh concern about rising oil prices, the prevailing market consolidation phase may prolong for a little longer.

It said any market pullbacks, however, were likely to be transitory and fairly shallow.

The Finance Index increased 33.54 points to 13,949.08.

The Industrial Index lost 4.98 points to 2,905.14 and the Plantation Index decreased 80.03 points to 8,740.72.

The FBM Emas Index advanced 8.92 points to 10,851.17 and the FBM Ace Index added 8.96 points to 4,733.73.

The FBM70 Index fell 2.279 points to 12,335.49.

Losers outnumbered gainers by 413 to 291 with turnover at 1.058 billion units valued at RM864.679 million.

Among actives, Panasonic Manufacturing surged 68 sen to RM21.10, United Plantations gained 62 sen to RM23.38, Fraser & Neave added 22 sen to RM17.80 and BLD Plantation was up 21 sen to RM10.04.

Of the heavyweights, Maybank earned seven sen to RM8.68, Sime Darby added one sen to RM9.64, Petronas Chemicals gained three sen to RM6.95, Maxis rose 20 sen to RM6.01 and Axiata increased three sen to RM5.03. -- Bernama



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KLCI stages mild rebound, boost from Greek debt accord

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 21): Blue chips staged a mild rebound in the afternoon session on Tuesday in line with most key Asian markets as sentiment was bolstered by the Greek bailout deal.

At 3pm, the FBM KLCI was up 1.85 points to 1,562.421. Turnover was 1.06 billion shares valued at RM865.49 million. There were 292 gainers, 414 losers and 353 stocks unchanged.

Panasonic Malaysia was the top gainer, adding 68 sen to RM21.19 while Maxis gained 19 sen to RM6.

Among the PLANTATION []s, United Plantations added 62 sen to RM23.38, BLD Plantations 21 sen to RM10.04 and Sarawak Plantations 14 sen to RM3.06.

F&N added 22 sen to RM17.80 on mild buying interest after its share price was recently impacted by the decline in earnings.

Nilai Resources added 14 sen to RM1.55 after the major shareholders proposed a selective capital repayment (SCR) of RM1.50 a share.

YTL Cement and MBM Resources added 13 sen each to RM4.73 and RM4.43.



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KL shares end morning session lower

Share prices on Bursa Malaysia ended the morning session marginally lower today, tracking losses in the finance and plantation counters, dealers said.

At 12.30pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI), finished 0.98 of a point weaker at 1,559.59, after opening 2.41 points higher at 1,562.98.

Dealers said investors were hesitant to raise their exposure on the market as they continued to be wary that the second bailout package for Greece, would not be a concrete solution to curb the Eurozone debt woes.

Back home, however, gains in selected key heavyweight counters like RHB Capital, Telekom and Petronas Dagangan lifted the FBM KLCI for it to stay above the 1,550 level.

RHB Capital added five sen to RM7.53, Telekom earned one sen to RM4.87 and Petronas Dagangan increased two sen to RM18.10.

The Finance Index decreased 16.13 points to 13,899.41, the Industrial Index lost 8.84 points to 2,901.28 and the Plantation Index declined 82.39 points to 8,738.36.

The FBM Emas Index fell 11.26 points to 10,830.99, the FBM Ace Index was down 1.56 points to 4,723.21 and the FBM Mid 70 Index decreased 23.979 points to 12,313.79.

Losers led gainers, 431 to 236, while turnover amounted to 913.217 million shares worth RM649.727 million.

For the actives, United Plantations surged 60 sen to RM23.36, Panasonic Manufacturing added 58 sen to RM21.00, while Maxis and BLD Plantation climbed 21 sen each to RM6.02 and RM10.04, respectively.

Among heavyweights, Maybank and Sime Darby stood unchanged at RM8.61 and RM9.63 respectively, and Petronas Chemicals gained three sen to RM6.95 but CIMB lost three sen to RM7.27. -- Bernama



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Market dips in directionless trade, Greek bailout deal may support

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 21): The Malaysian market slipped in directionless trade on Tuesday morning as investors stayed on the sidelines but the positive news that euro zone finance ministers sealed a second bailout for debt-laden Greece could provide some lift to sentiment.

At 12.30pm, the FBM KLCI fell 0.98 of a point to 1,559.59. Turnover was 913.22 million shares valued at RM649.72 million. Declining stocks beat advancers 431 to 236 while 342 stocks were unchanged.

All key regional markets were in the red. Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.3% to 9,456.70, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index 0.47% to 21,323.90, Shanghai’s Composite Index 0.37% to 2,354.74, Taiwan’s Taiex 0.61% to 7,906.50, South Korea’s Kospi 0.75% to 2,009.66 and Singapore’s Straits Times Index 0.14% to 3,016.82.

Brent fell 6 cents to US$119.99 while US light crude oil rose US$1.59 to US$104.83. The ringgit was nearly unchanged against the US dollar at 3.0214. Crude palm oil futures fell RM4 to RM3,241 per tonne.

Reuters reported euro zone officials as saying that the finance ministers had nailed measures to cut Greece's debt to around 121% of gross domestic product by 2020, close to their original target of 120, after negotiators for private bondholders offered to accept a bigger loss to help plug the funding gap.

It reported that agreement on a 130-billion-euro rescue package with strict conditions attached will help draw a line under months of uncertainty that has shaken the currency bloc, and avert an imminent Greek bankruptcy.

At Bursa Malaysia, BAT was the top loser, down 94 sen to RM52.96 as it gave up most of Monday’s gains of RM1.38.

Esso fell 11 sen to RM3.65 after posting lower earnings. Nestle and Top Glove fell 10 sen each to RM55.90 and RM4.82.

Penny stock Widetec fell 25 sen to 41 sen but with only 2,000 shares done.

Naim Indah Corp was the most active with 67.43 million shares done, adding 2.5 sen to 50 sen.

PLANTATION []s were among the major gainers. United Plantations was the top gainer, rising 60 sen to RM23.36 after posating a strong set of results while BLD Plantations added 21 sen to RM10.04, Sarawak Plantations 14 sen to RM3.06.

Market expectations of bumper dividends from Maxis saw the share price crossing RM6, up 21 sen to RM6.02 in many months.



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Plantations mixed in early trade, United Plantations up, KLK down

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 21): Shares of PLANTATION [] stocks were mixed in early trade on Tuesday, after crude palm oil (CPO) futures hit an eight-month high of RM3,260 per tonne on Monday.

The FBM KLCI was down 1.47 points to 1,559.10. Turnover was 452.59 million shares valued at RM232.01 million. There were 203 gainers, 253 losers and 292 counters unchanged.

United Plantations was the top gainer, up 74 sen to RM23.50 after it reported a higher pre-tax profit of RM491.541 million for the financial year ended Dec 31, 2011 versus RM349.46 million in FY10. Revenue rose to RM1.385 billion from RM995.107 million

BLD Plantations added 23 sen to RM10.06.

However there was some profit taking, with Chin Tek down 20 sen to RM8.66.

Batu Kawan and KL Kepong, which are scheduled to announce their results this week, slipped as investors locked in gains. Batu Kawan fell 14 sen to RM18.80 and KLK six sen lower at RM24.08.



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Late buying pushes KLCI firmly into positive zone

KUALA LUMPUR: Late buying on index-linked stocks pushed the FBM KLCI firmly into the positive zone on Monday while the broader market saw some profit taking activities on recent gainers, which was in line with some key regional markets.

The surprise stimulus move in China and signs Greece would secure a long-awaited bailout deal helped underpin sentiment for blue chips.

At 5pm, the FBM KLCI was up 3.42 points or 0.22% to close at 1,560.57, nudged up gains in by Maybank and BAT. Volume was 1.86 billion shares traded valued at RM1.61 billion. Losers led gainers 469 to 349, while 339 counters remained unchanged.

Japan's Nikkei 225 was up 1.08% to 9,485.09, Taiwan's Taeix rose 0.77% to 7,954.82, Singapore's Straits Index 0.69% to 3,021.19, Shanghai's Composite Index 0.27% to 2,363.60 and South Korea's Kospi up marginally 0.07% to 2,024.90. Only Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index was in the red, down 0.31% to 21,424.79.

At Bursa Malaysia, the KLCI was supported by gains in Maybank, which rose five sen to RM8.61 and managed to nudge the 30-stock KLCI up 0.89 of a point. BAT added RM1.38 to RM53.90, adding 0.62 of a point to the index.

Other gainers were Nestle, up 90 sen to RM56.00, Oriental Holdings 30 sen to RM5.65, Aeon 29 sen to RM7.99 and Panasonic Malaysia 22 sen to RM20.42.

Among the lower liners, Cyberpark rose 19 sen to RM2.07 on the positive outlook for its integrated renewable energy plant in Negeri Sembilan to be launched next month.

Cybertowers added 18.5 sen to 76 sen. Before market close, Bursa Malaysia Securities had queried Cybertowers over the unusual market activity in the trading of the company’s shares.

Green Ocean, which closed up 2.5 sen to 25 sen with 58.8 million shares traded, was earlier queried by Bursa Securities for its sharp rise in price and volume.

Among top losers were TAHPS down 20 sen to RM4.50, Ewein 18.5 sen to 80.5 sen while BLD PLANTATION []s and Tasek fell 17 sen each to RM9.83 and RM8.30 respectively.



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CPO prices at 8-month high, may rise further

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 20): Crude palm oil futures rose to RM3,3260 per tonne at midday on Monday, underpinned by firmer demand and weaker first quarter production in Borneo due tail end effects of 1QCY10 drought, analysts said.

At midday, CPO for third-month delivery was up RM18 to RM3,260, the highest since June 14, 2011.

News reports said China's move to ease its policy had helped nudged commodities higher while an improvement in demand prospects and technical outlook also provided support.

OSK Research said CPO prices staged a technical breakout last Friday and it thinks CPO price will head higher to RM3,465 in the medium term.

“This is consistent with our sector view that any upside palm oil price is to have will happen in the first quarter or not at all. Seasonally palm oil price tends to peak in 1Q, carrying over buying momentum from 4Q,” said the research house.

At midday, among the PLANTATION []s which posted share price gains were BLD Plantations, up 10 sen to RM10.10, Glenealy 18 sen to RM7.18, TH Plantations eight sen to RM2.80, Hap Seng Plantaions four sen to RM3.13 and Kim Loong, also four sen to RM2.64.



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