KUALA LUMPUR – Bursa Malaysia opened higher today, with the key index rising 0.7% led by Public Bank and Top Glove Corp Bhd.
At 9.05am, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI jumped 11.03 points to 1,584.54 from yesterday’s close of 1,573.51.
The index opened 6.46 points higher at 1,579.97.
On the broader market, gainers led losers 295 to 155, while 266 counters were unchanged, 1,408 untraded and nine suspended.
Total volume stood at 463.33 million shares worth RM179.87 million.
Both Top Glove and Public Bank advanced 8 sen to RM4.60 and RM4.28, respectively, and accounted for 4.13 points to the key index.
Among the other heavyweights, Maybank gained 3 sen to RM8.28, Petronas Chemicals added 1 sen to RM8.01, Tenaga Nasional Bhd jumped 10 sen to RM10.22 and IHH Healthcare was flat at RM5.32.
Meanwhile, the ringgit remained defensive, opening slightly higher against the United States dollar despite lower crude oil prices and the extension of the conditional movement control order in certain areas, including the Klang Valley, due to a rise in Covid-19 cases.
At 9am, the local note edged up to 4.1430/1480 against the greenback from 4.1450/1480 at the close yesterday. – Bernama, April 1, 2021
