Bursa Malaysia ends higher as crude lifts commodity plays
Bursa Malaysia’s FBM KLCI rose 10.15 points, or 0.59%, to close at 1,741.61 as utilities and petrochemical stocks gained on crude oil near US$90 a barrel.
Source: thestar.com.my · KLSE Screener · The Star · August 12, 2026 at 10:37 PM · AI-assisted report
Single-sourceKUALA LUMPUR, 13 AUGUST 2026 —
Bursa Malaysia’s FBM KLCI rose 10.15 points, or 0.59%, to close at 1,741.61 as utilities and petrochemical stocks gained on crude oil near US$90 a barrel.
Market Impact
Turnover climbed to 3.70 billion shares worth RM3.27 billion, up from Tuesday’s 3.43 billion shares valued at RM2.94 billion. Advancers led decliners 661 to 512, with 600 counters unchanged, 1,014 untraded and 13 suspended.
The index opened at 1,731.47, dipped to an intraday low of 1,728.64, then rebounded on late buying to finish at the session high. Mohd Sedek Jantan, director of investment strategy and country economist at IPPFA Sdn Bhd, said the gains reflected rotation into commodity-linked sectors as oil prices approached US$90 per barrel.
“This rotation has become more evident over the past two months as geopolitical risks kept energy prices elevated,” he said. “Utilities and petrochemicals led the move, broadly in line with the market’s recent trend.”
He cautioned that higher crude oil prices had weighed on broader Asian sentiment, with most regional equity markets ending lower as investors reassessed the inflation and earnings impact of elevated energy costs.
An analyst, who declined to be named, expects the FBM KLCI to maintain upward momentum supported by domestic fundamentals, corporate earnings and sustained buying in defensive and commodity-related counters. “However, geopolitical uncertainties and global market volatility could limit further gains and trigger profit-taking,” the analyst said.
Among heavyweights, Tenaga Nasional Bhd led gainers with a 24-sen advance to RM14.58, while Malayan Banking Bhd added four sen to RM10.60, CIMB Group Holdings Bhd rose three sen to RM7.92 and Public Bank Bhd was flat at RM5.19. IHH Healthcare Bhd ended unchanged at RM8.35.
On the most active list, Dagang Nexchange Bhd gained 3.5 sen to 53 sen, Nexgram Holdings Bhd rose half a sen to six sen, Zetrix AI Bhd added 2.5 sen to 74 sen, Top Glove Corp Bhd edged up half a sen to 66.5 sen and VS Industry Bhd slipped half a sen to 24 sen.
Top gainers outside the heavyweights included United Plantations Bhd, up 40 sen to RM33.60, Nestle (M) Bhd, up 30 sen to RM102.90, UMS Integration Ltd, up 28 sen to RM8.15, Hengyuan Refining Co Bhd, up 25 sen to RM1.95, and Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd, up 21 sen to RM4.65.
The worst performers were Malaysian Pacific Industries Bhd, down 60 sen to RM47.50, Hong Leong Industries Bhd, down 34 sen to RM17.64, Ideal Capital Bhd, down 17 sen to RM3.50, THMY Holdings Bhd, down 15 sen to RM1.86, and Batu Kawan Bhd, down 14 sen to RM20.74.
Related: Bursa Malaysia · Mohd Sedek Jantan · KUALA LUMPUR