KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 14): Bursa Malaysia ended broadly lower on Friday (Jan 14), weighed by continuous profit-taking in selected heavyweights led by Press Metal Aluminium Holdings Bhd and Public Bank Bhd, in line with the weaker regional market sentiment.

The two counters contributed a combined 3.54 points to the decline in the barometer index, dealers said.

At 5pm, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) shed 14.18 points or 0.9% to 1,555.33 from 1,569.51 at Thursday’s close.

The index opened 4.28 points lower at 1,565.23 and fluctuated between 1,549.93 and 1,565.23 throughout the trading session.

The overall market breadth was negative with decliners beating advancers 828 to 204, while 348 counters were unchanged, 871 untraded, and 28 others suspended.

Total turnover rose to 3.61 billion units worth RM2.95 billion versus 3.46 billion units valued at RM2.14 billion on Thursday.

Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice-president of equity research Thong Pak Leng said the FBM KLCI closed lower due to selling pressure seen across the region.

“Key regional markets were lower following the broadly negative cues overnight from Wall Street, with energy and technology stocks primarily dragging markets down.

“Additionally, hawkish remarks from Federal Reserve officials gave clear indications that US interest rates could rise as soon as March, putting an end to ultra-easy monetary conditions,” he told Bernama on Friday.

Japan's Nikkei 225 slipped 1.28% to 28,124.28, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index went down 0.19% to 24,383.32, Singapore’s Straits Times Index added 0.69% to 3,279.81 and South Korea’s Kospi fell 1.36% to 2,921.92.

Back home, heavyweights, Malayan Banking Bhd and Public Bank gave up four sen each to RM8.46 and RM4.20, respectively, Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd slipped six sen to RM9.09, IHH Healthcare Bhd went down seven sen to RM6.58 while CIMB Group Holdings Bhd fell five sen to RM5.54.

Of the actives, AirAsia Group Bhd declined 12.5 sen to 62 sen, Dagang NeXchange Bhd trimmed 1.5 sen to 84 sen, while SMTrack Bhd and Sapura Energy Bhd were flat at 29 sen and five sen, respectively.

On the index board, the FBM Emas Index was 137.2 points weaker at 11,178.52, the FBMT 100 Index lost 127.18 points to 10,885.65, the FBM Emas Shariah Index decreased 193.68 points to 11,880.81, the FBM ACE dipped 209 points to 6,279.63, and the FBM 70 dropped 283.64 points to 13,852.57.

Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index slid 70.75 points to 16,152.08, the Industrial Products and Services Index shed 3.14 points to 202.96, while the Plantation Index fell 12.43 points to 6,761.55.

The Main Market volume expanded to 2.36 billion shares worth RM2.65 billion compared with 2.08 billion shares worth RM1.91 billion on Thursday.

Warrants turnover advanced to 262.03 million units worth RM31.58 million from 241.93 million units worth RM30.63 million on Thursday.

The ACE Market volume narrowed to 968.34 million shares worth RM266.65 million versus 1.13 billion shares valued at RM202.71 million previously.

Consumer products and services counters accounted for 725.27 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products and services (554.78 million), construction (75.22 million), technology (427.89 million), SPAC (nil), financial services (72.84 million), property (163.45 million), plantation (10.26 million), REITs (6.18 million), closed/fund (35,200), energy (160.45 million), healthcare (51.84 million), telecommunications and media (23.54 million), transportation and logistics (49.35 million), and utilities (35.79 million).