KL shares turn higher at mid-morning

SHARE prices on Bursa Malaysia were mostly higher at mid-morning today, pushed by gains in key bluechips, especially banking and plantation counters, dealers said. At 11.16am, the benchmark Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (KLCI) increased 2.70 points to 1,092.85 after opening 2.89 points higher at 1,093.04.

Kenanga Investment in its note today expects the resistance level to be around 1,097-1,134.On the scoreboard, the Plantation Index increased 23.26 points to 5,493.6, the Industrial Index dropped 5.69 points to 2,353.46 and the Finance Index advanced 68.24 points to 8,798.07.
The FBMEmas Index gained 22.13 points to 7,379.88, the FBM30 Index climbed 22.2 points to 6,955.92, the FBM2BRD Index was 37.38 points higher at 5,023.69 and the FBMMesdaq Index slipped 4.17 points to 4,368.69.

Gainers led losers by 300 to 267 counters, while 209 counters were unchanged, 454 untraded and 40 others suspended. Volume stood at 800.182 million shares worth RM653.851 million. Among actives, Mulpha rose 3.5 sen to 66.5 sen, Compugates and Tebrau Teguh were unchanged at 7.5 sen and 98 sen each, while Equine Capital gained four sen to 71 sen. As for the bluechips, Maybank added 10 sen to RM6.05 and Bumiputra-Commerce gained 15 sen to RM9.30.

Sime Darby and Tenaga Nasional were flat at RM7.00 and RM7.85 respecyively. IOI Corp rose four sen to RM4.72, PPB and Kuala Lumpur Kepong increased 10 sen each to RM11.30 and RM12.00. - Bernama