Bursa Malaysia slips 0.14pc as 99 Speed Mart, Maybank drag FBM KLCI lower

KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia’s stock market ended lower in mid-afternoon trading today as selling pressure in key consumer and banking counters weighed on the benchmark index.

The FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) slipped 0.14 per cent, reflecting cautious investor sentiment despite an earlier positive opening.

At 3:00 PM, the benchmark index fell 2.39 points to 1,737.15, compared with last Friday’s closing level of 1,739.54. Earlier in the day, the index had opened 1.12 points higher at 1,740.66, indicating initial buying interest before profit-taking activities emerged.

Key Stocks Dragging the Market

Losses in several heavyweight counters contributed significantly to the index’s decline.

Among the biggest laggards were:

• 99 Speed Mart — fell 24 sen to RM3.71
• Maybank — slid 12 sen to RM11.94
• CIMB — dipped 6 sen to RM8.40

Together, these three counters erased 7.17 points from the composite index.

The decline highlights continued selling pressure in both the retail and financial services sectors, which carry significant weight in Malaysia’s equity benchmark.

Broader Market Performance

Market breadth remained negative, with losing counters outpacing gainers.

• Losers: 462
• Gainers: 392
• Unchanged: 544
• Untraded: 1,339
• Suspended: 11

Total market turnover reached 1.31 billion shares valued at RM1.13 billion, reflecting moderate trading activity during the session.

Performance of Other Heavyweights

Despite the overall weaker market tone, several heavyweight stocks posted gains:

• Public Bank — up 1 sen to RM5.05
• Tenaga Nasional — gained 18 sen to RM14.14
• Press Metal Aluminium — rose 9 sen to RM7.66

Meanwhile:

• IHH Healthcare — fell 10 sen to RM8.73

Most Active and Top Movers

Among actively traded stocks:

• Hong Seng — up 0.5 sen
• Zetrix AI — gained 4.5 sen
• Tanco Holdings — rose 3 sen
• Mega Fortris — up 3.5 sen

Top gainers included:

• Malaysian Pacific Industries — up 52 sen
• MNRB Holdings — gained 25 sen
• Petronas Gas — rose 24 sen
• IOI Properties — added 17 sen

Top Losers

Among the biggest decliners:

• Batu Kawan — down 22 sen
• Alliance Bank Malaysia — fell 20 sen
• Allianz Malaysia — slid 16 sen
• Hong Leong Bank — dropped 14 sen

Sector and Index Breakdown

Sector indices showed mixed performance:

• Financial Services Index — down 143.14 points
• Plantation Index — down 26.03 points
• Industrial Products & Services Index — up 1.70 points
• Energy Index — up 2.34 points

On broader indices:

• FBM Top 100 — fell 10.34 points
• FBM Emas — down 6.44 points
• FBM Mid 70 — gained 16.58 points
• FBM Emas Shariah — up 38.93 points
• FBM ACE — edged up 2.27 points

Market Outlook

Market analysts noted that the decline reflects short-term profit-taking activities, particularly in consumer and banking stocks that had previously recorded gains.

Investors are also closely monitoring macroeconomic indicators, interest rate expectations, and regional market performance for further direction.