KUALA LUMPUR, July 3 — Bursa Malaysia ended today’s trade with a bounce on the back of a rally in banking stocks as investor sentiment improved following softer-than-expected US labour market data.
IPPFA Sdn Bhd director of investment strategy and country economist Mohd Sedek Jantan said the recovery in heavyweight financial counters provided the main support for the benchmark index, reflecting increased risk appetite after concerns over further US monetary tightening eased.
At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) jumped 17.22 points to 1,679.05 from yesterday’s close of 1,661.83.
The benchmark index opened 3.90 points higher at 1,665.73 and moved between 1,662.91 and 1,682.62 throughout the session.
The market breadth was positive, with gainers trouncing decliners 633 to 372, while 533 counters were unchanged, 1,112 untraded, and 12 suspended.
Turnover increased to 2.79 billion units valued at RM1.93 billion, up from 2.70 billion units valued at RM2.00 billion yesterday.
Mohd Sedek said market sentiment strengthened after the US June employment report showed non-farm payrolls increased by just 57,000, well below market expectations of 113,000, while payroll figures for the previous two months were revised down by a combined 74,000.
“The weaker labour market data tempered expectations that the US Federal Reserve (Fed) would need to resume interest rate hikes, reducing concerns that tighter financial conditions could weigh on global economic growth and corporate earnings.
“The cooling outlook for additional US rate hikes encouraged buying across regional equity markets, with investors rotating back into cyclical sectors, including financials, amid expectations that the Fed may maintain a more accommodative policy stance in the months ahead,” he told Bernama.
Among heavyweight stocks, Maybank gained six sen to RM10.80, while CIMB added 15 sen to RM7.60, and Tenaga Nasional climbed two sen to RM14.28. Public Bank was five sen higher at RM4.89, while IHH Healthcare was two sen lower at RM8.15.
As for the active stocks, Velesto added two sen to 28.5 sen, Zetrix AI gained one sen to 79 sen, and Silver Ridge gained four sen to 21 sen. ACE Market debutant Eckem Holdings was flat at 12 sen, and Capital A edged down half a sen to 40.5 sen.
On the gainers’ list, F&N jumped 88 sen to RM28.98, KL Kepong added 74 sen to RM21.70, and Dutch Lady garnered 34 sen to RM32.40. Batu Kawan soared 54 sen to RM21.64, and PPB bagged 21 sen to RM9.54.
Of the decliners, Nestle shed 80 sen to RM91.20, Malaysian Pacific Industries lost 28 sen to RM47.78, and United Plantations lost 36 sen to RM33.12. Far East dropped eight sen to RM3.82, and Paragon Union trimmed seven sen to RM1.70.
On the broader market, the FBM Emas Index advanced 106.34 points to 12,457.01, the FBM Top 100 Index rose 103.67 points to 12,283.30, and the FBM Emas Shariah Index gained 87.18 points to 12,292.23.
The FBM Mid 70 Index climbed 55.67 points to 17,840.36, and the FBM ACE Index added 41.16 points to 4,894.61.
Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index surged 205.73 points to 19,831.96, the Industrial Products and Services Index went up 2.99 points to 182.44, and the Energy Index gained 8.94 points to 758.60. The Plantation Index grew 81.14 points to 8,969.54.
The Main Market volume strengthened to 1.32 billion units valued at RM1.65 billion, compared with 1.17 billion units valued at RM1.70 billion on Thursday.
Warrants turnover dropped to 854.95 million units worth RM106.34 million, versus 1.05 billion units worth RM130.35 million yesterday.
The ACE Market volume improved to 612.79 million units valued at RM170.56 million, from 463.33 million units valued at RM164.33 million previously.
Consumer products and services counters accounted for 169.52 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products and services (229.10 million), construction (77.96 million), technology (256.39 million), financial services (43.08 million), property (184.07 million), plantation (19.32 million), real estate investment trusts (15.66 million), closed-end fund (7,000), energy (176.62 million), healthcare (71.65 million), telecommunications and media (27.57 million), transportation and logistics (23.36 million), utilities (27.70 million), and business trusts (3,600). — Bernama
Date: 3 July, 2026 7:00 pm
Source: Malay Mail
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