KUALA LUMPU: The benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) opened in positive territory today, amid marginal gains in the early session and lifted by the strong overnight performance of Wall Street.

At 9.15 am, the FBM KLCI was 0.98 of-a-point higher at 1,655.97 from yesterday’s close of 1,664.99.

It had opened 6.24 points lower at 1,658.75. JF Apex Securities said the FBM KLCI is expected to consolidate today after recent gains, alongside the mixed performance of markets in US and Europe.

“The US markets rallied, led by consumer, financial and transportation stocks.

Meanwhile, European equities were mostly lower following lower commodity prices and mixed earnings,” it said in a research note today.

Market breadth was positive with gainers leading losers 178 to 104 with 167 counters unchanged, 1,296 untraded and 18 others suspended. Turnover stood at 142.71 million shares worth RM86.63 million.

Of the heavyweights, Maybank rose four sen to RM8.59, TNB increased eight sen to RM13.26, Public Bank gained six sen to RM18.50, IHH Healthcare was flat at RM6.47 and Petronas Chemicals declined three sen to RM7.15.

Among top gainers, Top Glove and Kossan Rubber Industries jumped 11 sen each to RM5.67 and RM7.08 respectively, while both British American Tobacco and Karex expanded 10 sen to RM56 and RM3.80.

Of the actives, Sumatec and MMAG were flat at 12 sen and 6.5 sen, SKH Consortium inched down half-a-sen to nine sen, SapuraKencana Petroleum decreased six sen to RM1.90, and Kim Teck Cheong Consolidated eased one sen to 39.5 sen.

On the scoreboards, the FBM Emas Index bagged 7.84 points to 11,542.26, the FBMT100 Index increased 6.97 points to 11,247.93 and the FBM Emas Shariah Index added 1.23 point to 12,304.68.

The FBM 70 improved 9.28 points to 12,726.15, but the FBM Ace went down 12.07 points to 5,845.85.

Sector-wise, the Plantation Index was up 1.08 points to 7,809.54, the Finance Index rose 29.30 points for 14,026.23 and the Industrial Index weakened 21.16 points to 3,239.17. –BERNAMA