KUALA LUMPUR (June 29): The FBM KLCI stayed above the 1,600-point level at the mid-day break on Friday, in line with the gains at most key regional markets.
At 12.30pn, the FBM KLCI added 7.85 points to 1,602.09.
Gainers led losers by 351 to 265, while 275 counters traded unchanged. Volume was 626.95 million shares valued at RM648.96 million.
The ringgit firmed up 0.29% to 3.1870 versus the US dollar; crude palm oil futures for the third month delivery added RM12 per tonne to RM3,010, crude oil rose US$1.63 per barrel to US$79.32, hoel gold jumped US$12.32 an ounce to US$1,564.95.
Asian shares and the euro surged on Friday after European leaders agreed that euro zone banks could be recapitalised without adding to government debt and opened the way for tapping a rescue fund, soothing fears over growing credit strains in Italy and Spain, according to Reuters
European Council Chairman Herman Van Rompuy said the aim was to create a single supervisory mechanism to break the "vicious circle" between banks and sovereign government debt, it said.
At the regional markets, Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 1.03% to 8,965.10, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index jumped 1.90% to 19,387.10, Taiwan’s Taiex rose 1.37% to 7,268.07, Singapore’s Straits Times Index gained 1.53% to 2,890.32 and south Korea’s Kospi was up 0.99% to 1,837.22.
On Bursa Malaysia, BAT jumped RM1.90 to RM57, Dutch Lady added 40 sen to RM35.40, KLCCP 39 sen to RM4.70, PPB 28 sen to RM16.12, Petronas Dagangan 24 sen to RM21.48, United Plantations and Pharmaniaga rose 20 sen each to RM25.90 and RM9.19, while Apollo and Cin teck gained 15 sen each to RM3.10 and RM8.90.
Ingenuity Solutions was the most actively traded counter with 72.1 million shares done. The stock rose two sen to 12 sen.
Other actives included Flonic, Luster, GPRO, HWGB and KLCCP.
Meanwhile, the decliners at mid-day included BLD Plantations, Jaya Tiasa, Tradewinds, Delloyd, Uzma, JobStreet, Apex, Mycron, F&N and APM Automotive.