KL shares end on a mixed note

Bursa Malaysia closed mixed today, helped by information technology-related counters and the ease in worries about China's economic outlook, dealers said.

The benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 0.71 point to close at 1,583.24.

Dr Nazri Khan, vice president, head of retail research of Affin Investment Bank, told Bernama the latest data on China's industrial activities were not as bad as expected.

"The improvement in the US recovery also helped support the local bourse today," he said.

The Finance Index lost 8.69 points to 14,198.78, Industrial Index slipped 7.05 points to 2,855.31 and the Plantation Index shed 15.52 points to 8,6664.72.

The FBM 70 Index declined 32.13 points to 12,135.93 and FBM Emas Index fell 1.54 points to 10,902.95.

The FBM ACE Index, however, surged 63.48 points to 10,902.95.

Losers led advancers by 397 to 363 while 360 counters were unchanged, 380 untraded and 24 others suspended.

Turnover decreased to 2.86 billion shares worth RM1.57 billion from 3.59 billion shares worth RM1.79 billion yesterday.

Among active stocks, 1 Utopia added 1.5 sen to nine sen and Ariantec Global improved half sen to 14 sen. Ingenuity Solutions eased one sen to 13 sen. Metronic Global was flat at 25.5 sen.

For heavyweights, Maybank added three sen to RM8.77, Petronas Chemicals and Sime Darby lost one sen each to RM6.73 and RM9.73, respectively, and CIMB shed two sen to RM7.61. -- Bernama