Bursa Malaysia opens higher on bargain hunting, pares gains
Kuala Lumpur – Bursa Malaysia’s benchmark index opened 2.80 points higher at 1,669.74 before easing to 1,666.81 at 9.10 a.m., a 0.13‑point decline from Monday’s close of 1,666.94, according to the exchange’s trading…
Source: Malay Mail · freemalaysiatoday.com · Free Malaysia Today on MSN · September 22, 2026 at 8:02 AM · AI-assisted report
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KUALA LUMPUR, 22 SEPTEMBER 2026 —
Kuala Lumpur – Bursa Malaysia’s benchmark index opened 2.80 points higher at 1,669.74 before easing to 1,666.81 at 9.10 a.m., a 0.13‑point decline from Monday’s close of 1,666.94, according to the exchange’s trading data.
Market Impact
The market breadth was positive, with 265 gainers outpacing 150 losers, while 294 stocks remained unchanged, 2,164 were untraded and 11 were suspended. Turnover reached 314.78 million shares worth RM148.07 million.
Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice‑president of equity research Thong Pak Leng said the bourse is “ripe for stock picking” after last week’s weak performance. He noted that the market’s price‑to‑earnings multiple is below the 16.5‑times average, making valuation “decent”. Leng expects buying interest to continue and forecasts the index to trade between 1,665 and 1,680.
Banking and plantation stocks topped his buying list. Maybank added two sen to close at RM10.40, while CIMB rose four sen to RM7.69. Public Bank slipped one sen to RM4.78, and Tenaga Nasional fell 10 sen to RM12.94.
Among the most active shares, BMS increased 1.5 sen to 15 sen, AirAsia gained two sen to 55 sen and Kinergy Advancement edged up half a sen to 40.5 sen. AIMAX and Zetrix AI were flat at one sen and 20 sen respectively.
Fraser & Neave led the top gainers, climbing 50 sen to RM23.10. Petron Malaysia added 21 sen to RM4.00, and Malaysian Pacific Industries rose 18 sen to RM42.98. Pentamaster and MI Technovation each gained 16 sen, closing at RM5.56 and RM5.82.
Nestlé dropped 48 sen to RM89.22, Allianz Malaysia fell 20 sen to RM21.10, and United Plantations slipped 12 sen to RM33.30. Tenaga Nasional and Sunway Healthcare also declined, ending at RM12.94 and RM2.20 respectively.
Sector‑wise, the FBM Mid‑70 Index rose 51.93 points to 17,741.07, the FBM Emas Index added 12.17 points to 12,410.78, and the FBM Top 100 Index inched up 8.48 points to 12,198.93. The FBM Emas Shariah Index gained 8.07 points to 12,244.83, while the FBM ACE Index advanced 19.87 points to 5,336.30.
Later in the session, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI finished at 1,708.74, up 8.20 points or 0.48 % from Tuesday’s close of 1,700.54, as reported by Free Malaysia Today on MSN.
The modest rise reflects bargain‑hunting activity spurred by easing tensions in West Asia, which pushed Brent crude prices lower. Analysts said the lower oil price helps sentiment but cautioned that sustained gains will depend on foreign inflows and corporate earnings.
With Bank Negara Malaysia expected to keep its overnight policy rate at 5.75 % in the upcoming meeting, market participants will watch domestic data and geopolitical developments for cues on future market direction.
Related: Bursa Malaysia · Thong Pak Leng · Kuala Lumpur