KUALA LUMPUR: CIMB and Maybank helped lift the FBM KLCI at midday on Monday while crude palm oil continued to climb higher and the ringgit firmed up against the US dollar.

At 12.30pm, the KLCI was up 4.86 points or 0.3% to 1,620.55. Turnover was 5.876 billion shares valued at RM2.68bil. The broader market was mixed with 566 gainers, 508 losers and 508 counters unchanged.

Key Asian markets were mixed with Japans’ Nikkei 225 up 0.07% and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index 0.58% but China’s Shanghai Composite fell 0.61%, Taiwan’s Taiex 0.1% lower. South Korea’s Kospi shed 0.17% but Singapore’s Straits Times Index edged up 0.31%.

The ringgit firmed up 0.06% against the US dollar to 4.1160.

Among the banks, CIMB rose nine sen to RM4.56 and added 1.38 points to the KLCI while Maybank added six sen to RM8.46 and 1.05 points, Hong Leong Bank 12 sen to RM19.14 but Public Bank shed two sen to RM4.30 and RHB Bank three sen lower to RM5.48.

CPO for third month rose RM21 to RM4,146 per tonne. Sime Plantation rose three sen to RM4.90, KL Kepong six sen to RM23,18 while PPB Group and IOI Corp were flat at RM18.70 and RM4.23.

As for telcos, Axiata and Digi rose two sen each to RM3.76 and RM3.67, Maxis eight sen to RM4.61 and TM four sen to RM6.07.

Tenaga fell 14 sen to RM10.66 and erasing 1.23 points from the KLCI, snapping its recent rally but Genting rose 14 sen to RM5.24 and GentingM six sen to RM3.18 as the mass vaccinations got underway.

As for glove makers, Top Glove rose two sen to RM5.22, Supermax one sen to RM4.09 but Hartalega shed two sen to RM9.70.

US light crude oil rose 55 cents to US$66.16 and Brent 52 cents to US$69.74.Petronas Gas edged up six sen to RM15.88, Petronas Chemicals five sen to RM8.32 but Petronas Dagangan lost 10 sen to RM20.20. Dialog slipped one sen to RM3.26.

HL Industries was the top gainer of the morning, adding 32 sen to RM9.85. Dataprep rebounded 31 sen to RM3.47 and Cheetah 31 sen to RM3.47.

MPI fell the most, down 52 sen to RM36.66, Greatec 46 sen to RM5.17, Genetec 44 sen to RM5.26 and Pentamaster 34 sen to RM5.38.

Source : The Star