KL share prices lower on profit-taking

SHARE prices on Bursa Malaysia ended marginally lower yesterday on profit-taking after two consecutive days of gains, dealers said.

They said the regional markets also pulled back with banks leading the way down as investors turned cautious ahead of central bank meetings and the release of economic data that included those from the European Central Bank and Bank of England and the US non-farm payrolls.

The FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) eased 0.91 point to end at 1,650.93. The benchmark index, which opened at 1,656.65, hovered between 1,649.17 and 1,656.65 throughout the day.

Advancers led decliners by 378 to 305, with 298 counters unchanged, 660 untraded and 26 others suspended.

Total volume dropped to 842.01 million shares valued at RM1.42 billion from 1.13 billion shares valued at RM1.741 billion.

Among the heavyweights, Maybank added three sen to RM9.14, Sime Darby increased one sen to RM9.20 and Axiata Group was flat at RM6.40.

Of the top gainers, British American Tobacco rose RM1.30 to RM62.30, United Plantations gained RM1.24 sen to RM27.38 and Tasek Corp climbed RM1.12 to RM16.

Among actives, Patimas Computers fell a sen to four sen, Ingenuity Consolidated eased a sen to nine sen and Tebrau Teguh jumped 1.5 sen to 97.5 sen.

Meanwhile, FBM KLCI futures contracts on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives closed firmer despite the marginal ease on the local bourse, dealers said.

March 2013 was flat at 1,655, April 2013 added 0.5 point to 1,651.5, June 2013 gained 0.5 point to 1,642 and September 2013 shed one point to 1,635.5.

Turnover totalled 7,758 lots, while open interest stood at 38,802 contracts. Bernama