KUALA LUMPUR – Bursa Malaysia opened lower in early trade today, taking the cue from the weaker performance on Wall Street, as it took a turn and fell across the board, led by sell-offs in consumer discretionary and energy stocks.
At 9.05am, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) fell 3.11 points to 1,491.75 compared with 1,494.86 at yesterday’s close.
The index opened 1.97 points easier at 1,492.89.
On the broader market, losers led gainers 195 to 97, while 165 counters were unchanged, 1,847 untraded and 20 others suspended.
Turnover stood at 107.64 million units valued at RM63.57 million.
Meanwhile, the ringgit slipped against the United States dollar at the open today, with the greenback gaining further traction as the final Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting for the year looms, an analyst said.
At 9am, the local note fell to 4.2290/2330 against the greenback from 4.2275/2295 at yesterday’s close.
Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd chief economist Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid said the US dollar is staging gains across major currencies, which is reflected in the sharp rise in the US dollar index that lingers at more than 96 points. – Bernama, December 14, 2021
