Bursa Malaysia's benchmark index rises at midday as heavyweights advance

KUALA LUMPUR, 18 AUGUST 2026 —

Bursa Malaysia's FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) gained 2.71 points to 1,728.60 at 12.30 pm, extending a morning advance led by plantation, industrial products and financial services shares.

The index opened 1.63 points higher at 1,727.52 and traded in a 1,723.60–1,729.38 range during the session. Turnover reached 1.96 billion units worth RM1.26 billion, compared with RM1.24 billion at the same time on Monday.

Losers outnumbered gainers 619 to 342, with 520 counters unchanged, 1,370 untraded and 16 suspended. Hong Leong Investment Bank Bhd said the FBM KLCI is likely to stay range-bound amid cautious investor sentiment.

“Heightened West Asia tensions, the peak August results season and continued foreign outflows are likely to keep sentiment subdued,” the bank said in a note.

Plantation heavyweights led advances. SD Guthrie rose 20 sen to RM6.73, Press Metal Aluminium added 14 sen to RM7.92 and RHB Bank climbed 10 sen to RM8.69, collectively lifting the composite index by 5.29 points.

Among other heavyweights, Maybank was flat at RM10.58, CIMB Group rose three sen to RM7.90 and Public Bank fell one sen to RM5.09. Tenaga Nasional lost four sen to RM14.44 and IHH Healthcare declined six sen to RM8.08.

Top gainers included Malaysian Pacific Industries, up 78 sen at RM47.78, Mi Technovation 51 sen higher at RM6.40 and Nestle 40 sen firmer at RM103.40. Kelington climbed 39 sen to RM8.93 and Bus Cap surged 14.5 sen to 52.5 sen.

On the downside, United Plantations dropped 36 sen to RM32.64, Kuala Lumpur Kepong fell 24 sen to RM21.32 and Hong Leong Bank lost 24 sen to RM22.50. Petronas Dagangan and Fraser & Neave each slipped 14 sen to RM19.32 and RM26.20.

The FBM Emas Shariah Index rose 4.32 points to 12,650.82 and the FBM Top 100 Index added 2.44 points to 12,619.62. The FBM 70 Index fell 70.26 points to 18,217.59, the FBM Emas Index shed 2.26 points to 12,806.90 and the FBM ACE Index lost 23.66 points to 5,300.19.

By sector, the Plantation Index jumped 58.25 points to 9,371.87 and the Industrial Products and Services Index rose 0.94 point to 188.91. The Energy Index slipped 0.83 point to 776.79 and the Financial Services Index lost 10.21 points to 20,239.50.

Related: Kuala Lumpur