KL shares end firmer

Share prices on Bursa Malaysia ended firmer today on buying support, following Wall Street's record close and firmer regional sentiment, dealers said.

Major US stock indices gained 0.9 per cent and 1.3 per cent overnight, with the bellwether Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) closing at a new record high.

"Essentially, investors’ sentiments were buoyed by expectations of continuous quantitative easing and sustained economic growth momentum in China," research house HwangDBS Vickers Research Sdn Bhd said in its notes.

The FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose by 9.76 points to end at 1,651.84.

The benchmark index, which opened at 1,641.29, hovered between 1,641.29 and 1,652.84 throughout the day.

Advancers led decliners by 501 to 231, with 299 counters unchanged, 612 untraded and 27 others suspended.

Total volume rose to 1.133 billion shares valued at RM1.741 billion from 966.731 million shares valued at RM1.797 billion yesterday.

Among Asian equities, China's Shanghai Composite rose 20.87 points to 2,347.18, Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 217.34 points to 22,777.84, Singapore's Straits Times Index improved 43.55 points to 3,291.81 and Indonesia's Jakarta Composite added 72.98 points to 4,824.68.

The Finance Index climbed 58.54 points to 15,238.23, the Plantation Index soared 119.26 points to 7,982.38 and the Industrial Index rose 14.12 points to 2,817.43.

The FBM Emas Index went up 73.029 points to 11,263.31, the FBMT100 advanced 70.011 points to 11,113.07 and the FBM Mid 70 Index surged 97.921 points to 12,398.98.

The FBM Ace Index was 49.33 points higher at 4003.09.

Among heavyweights, Maybank added 10 sen to RM9.11, Sime Darby was unchanged at RM9.19, CIMB Group firmed one sen to RM7.20 and Axiata Group also climbed one sen to RM6.40.

Of the top gainers, British American Tobacco rose 82 sen to RM61, UMW Holdings added 78 sen to RM13.76 and United Plantations gained 52 sen to RM26.14.

Among actives, Luster Industries was flat at 10.5 sen, China Automobile declined two sen to 42 sen and Compugates Holdings was unchanged at nine sen.

Volume on the Main Market climbed to 954.084 million shares valued at RM1.722 billion from 791.36 million shares valued at RM1.78 billion yesterday.

Turnover on the ACE market increased to 144.017 million units worth RM15.772 million from 134.69 million units worth RM15.26 million on Monday.

Warrants eased to 33.438 million units valued at RM2.875 million from 40.301 million units valued at RM4.14 million previously.

Consumer products accounted for 39.215 million shares on the Main Market, industrial products 195.328 million, construction 49.184 million, trade and services 370.797 million, technology 59.285 million, infrastructure 33.330 million, finance 60.386 million, hotels 554,600, properties 124.121 million,
plantations 14.734 million, mining 41,000, REITs 6.983 million and closed/fund 121,900.-- Bernama