Profit-taking continues as uncertain mood prevails on Bursa Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia was left out of a regional rally, with the main index continuing its decline as investors took profits out of blue chips.

As the market halted trading for the lunch break, the FBM KLCI was down 6.52 points to 1,549.62, with heavyweights such as Maybank and PETRONAS Chemicals dragging on the index.

Analyst say the market has entered a consolidation phase in anticipation of fresh leads as corporates release their first-quarter earnings results in the coming days.

The number of declining issues on the market was slightly higher than advancing, with a ratio of 1.12-to-1.

Volume was 1.61 billion shares transacted for a total of RM853.26mil.

Some of the leading laggards outside of the FBM KLCI included F&N down 56 sen to RM26.24, British American Tobacco shedding 15 sen to RM6.45 and Can-One down 12 sen to RM2.10.

Elwsewhere, sentiment in Asian markets has been more optimistic with an uptick in equities prices as US Treasuries stabilised overnight after the initial shock of Moody's downgrade of the US sovereign bonds.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng was seen leading the pack with a 1.29% jump to 23,634, while the mainland composite index rose 0.38% to 3,380.

Japan's Nikei gained 0.29% to 37,606.

Across the causeway, Singapore's Straits Times index gained 0.2% to 3,883.