KUALA LUMPUR – Bursa Malaysia extended yesterday’s losses to open lower today, driven by continued profit-taking in selected heavyweights and healthcare counters amid cautious sentiment in regional markets, said dealers.
At 9.29am, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI slipped 7.23 points to 1,599.45 from 1,606.68 at yesterday’s close.
The market bellwether opened 0.16 of a point lower at 1,606.52.
Overall market breadth was negative, with losers leading gainers 359 to 270, while 369 counters were unchanged, 1,194 untraded and 54 suspended.
Total volume stood at 1.29 billion shares worth RM609.21 million.
The ringgit, too, opened lower against the United States dollar on renewed demand for the greenback, as steady US Treasury yields and increased risk aversion following surging Covid-19 cases, mainly in Asia, lent support to the latter currency.
At 9am, the local note was trading at 4.0990/1030 against the greenback from yesterday’s close of 4.0960/0990.
An analyst said the decrease was held up by firmer oil prices, however, as the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries Plus decided to keep output cuts unchanged. – Bernama, April 28, 2021
