KL shares end on mixed note

Share prices on Bursa Malaysia closed on a mixed note today, amid weaker performances on most regional stocks, dealers said.

They said the gains in selected consumer and finance stocks helped limit the losses.

A dealer said Asian markets fell today over investor concern over the global economic outlook.

The FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) fell 1.42 points to end at 1,656.54.

The benchmark index, which opened at 1661.7, hovered between 1,652.67 and 1,664.39 throughout the day.

Nestle and Guinness Anchor emerged as the top gainers today, rising 68 sen and 66 sen to close at RM61.10 and RM18.46, respectively, while Hong Leong Financial improved by 32 sen to close at RM15.38.

Advancers led decliners by 420 to 296, with 283 counters unchanged, 633 untraded and 19 others suspended.

Total volume rose to 931.93 million shares valued at RM1.72 billion from 856.45 million shares valued at RM1.71 billion yesterday.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng dropped 200.22 points to 22,890.60 and Indonesia's Jakarta Composite fell 20.18 points to 4,854.31.

China's Shanghai Composite lost 23.99 points to 2,286.6. Singapore's Straits Times Index added 8.82 points to 3,301.79.

On the local front, the Finance Index rose 40.59 points to 15,444.54 and the Plantation Index improved 3.71 points to 7,974.98.

The Industrial Index, however, declined 7.6 points to 2,838.92.

The FBM Emas Index advanced 5.29 points to 11,323.05, FBMT100 added 2.88 points to 11,164.4 and FBM Mid 70 Index jumped 60.32 points to 12,548.68.

The FBM Ace Index was 23.32 points weaker at 3,978.29.

Among heavyweights, Maybank slipped six sen to RM9.20 and Axiata eased one sen to RM6.39. Sime Darby and CIMB were flat at RM9.20 and RM7.25, respectively.

Of the gainers, Keck Seng picked up 37 sen to RM5.30, AEON rose 26 sen to RM13.46, Hwang-DBS added 24 sen to RM4.10 and TDM advanced 22 sen to RM3.62.

Actives Compugates Holdings, Patimas Computers and the Media Shoppe were flat at 3.5 sen, nine sen and six sen, respectively.

GPRO Technologies eased one sen to 11 sen.

Volume on the Main Market increased to 776.29 million shares valued at RM1.69 billion from 695.46 million shares valued at RM1.69 billion yesterday.

Turnover on the ACE market slipped to 116.54 million units worth RM13.11 million from 128.01 million units worth RM15.95 million previously.

Warrants rose to 36.63 million shares valued at RM3.99 million from 31.80 million units valued at RM3.02 million on Monday.

Consumer products accounted for 31.45 million shares on the Main Market, industrial products 100.44 million, construction 36.74 million, trade and services 314.44 million, technology 75.12 million, infrastructure 13.81 million, finance 78.8 million, hotels 1.01 million, properties 94.08 million, plantations
22.36 million, mining 31,100, REITs 7.93 million and closed/fund 95,900.-- Bernama