Financials and plantations power FBM KLCI to 0.49% gain ahead of GDP print
The FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI rose 8.43 points, or 0.49%, to 1,722.19 at the close, rebounding from Wednesday’s 1,713.76 finish.
Source: Malay Mail · July 21, 2026 at 8:29 AM · AI-assisted report
Single-sourceKUALA LUMPUR, 21 JULY 2026 —
The FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI rose 8.43 points, or 0.49%, to 1,722.19 at the close, rebounding from Wednesday’s 1,713.76 finish.
Market Impact
Traders said the rebound reflected broad-based buying across financials and plantations, with volume-weighted sentiment lifted by expectations that Malaysia’s second-quarter GDP, due for release on July 17, would print above 4%.
Turnover fell to 3.68 billion shares valued at RM2.80 billion from 4.07 billion shares worth RM2.84 billion the prior day.
The index opened 3.0 points higher at 1,716.76, its intraday low, before advancing to a session high of 1,726.75 midday.
Gainers outnumbered losers 576 to 550, with 563 counters unchanged, 1,064 untraded and 12 suspended.
Analysts at Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd expect the FBM KLCI to maintain upward momentum and “gradually advance towards the 1,720–1,730 range by the end of the week,” citing selective buying in fundamentally strong large-caps across financials, plantations and selected industrials.
“As such, we expect the FBM KLCI to maintain its positive momentum and gradually advance towards the 1,720-1,730 range by the end of the week, supported by selective buying interest in fundamentally strong large-cap stocks, particularly within the financial, plantation and selected industrial sectors,” Thong Pak Leng, vice-president of equity research at Rakuten Trade, told Bernama.
Optimism was also anchored in overnight gains on Wall Street after softer US wholesale inflation and stronger bank earnings increased bets that the Federal Reserve could begin easing policy later this year, according to Mohd Sedek Jantan, director of investment strategy and country economist at IPPFA Sdn Bhd.
“Investor sentiment was underpinned by expectations that Malaysia’s second-quarter gross domestic product, scheduled for release tomorrow, will remain above the four per cent mark, reinforcing confidence in the country’s resilient economic expansion,” he told Bernama.
Heavyweights led the advance: Maybank added eight sen to RM11.04 and Public Bank climbed 15 sen to RM5.20. Tenaga Nasional retreated eight sen to RM14.30, CIMB lost one sen to RM7.70 and IHH Healthcare fell nine sen to RM8.53.
Among the most active issues, Tanco gained half a sen to 32 sen, Nationgate jumped 20 sen to RM1.17, VS Industry rose 1.5 sen to 23.5 sen, SFP Tech added four sen to 34 sen and HHRG declined two sen to 14.5 sen.
Top gainers included Nestlé, up RM1 to RM93, United Plantations, up 30 sen to RM35, Critical Holdings, up 24 sen to RM1.90, and Fraser & Neave, up 18 sen to RM29.28.
Leading decliners were Malaysian Pacific Industries, down 46 sen to RM45.28, UMS Integration, down 28 sen to RM8.03, Hong Leong Industries, down 18 sen to RM18.42, and Kuala Lumpur Kepong, down 14 sen to RM21.66.
The FBM Emas Shariah Index added 18.48 points to 12,521.27, the FBM 70 Index rose 17.72 points to 17,903.50 and the FBM ACE Index added 3.36 points to 4,915.11.
The broader FBM Emas Index gained 49.48 points to 12,699.22 and the FBMT 100 Index rose 49.09 points to 12,529.61.
Sector performance showed sharp gains in Financial Services, which jumped 156.43 points to 20,310.82, while Plantation stocks rose 34.81 points to 9,473.77 and Industrials edged up 1.18 points to 187.93. Energy slipped 0.27 point to 769.89.
Main Market turnover narrowed to 1.85 billion shares worth RM2.45 billion from 2.30 billion shares worth RM2.50 billion on Wednesday.
Warrants turnover expanded to 1.21 billion units valued at RM151.75 million from 1.04 billion units worth RM140.74 million the previous session.
The ACE Market saw volume shrink to 615.64 million units worth RM191.99 million, down from 721.07 million units worth RM193.18 million.
Sectoral trading on the Main Market broke down as follows: Consumer Products 146.45 million shares, Industrial Products 453.34 million, Construction 91.72 million, Technology 354.99 million, Financial Services 92.18 million, Property 379.92 million, Plantation 38.77 million, REITs 17.95 million, Closed-End Funds 296,300 shares, Energy 115.37 million, Healthcare 43.47 million, Telecommunications & Media 19.82 million, Transportation & Logistics 33.09 million, Utilities 63.14 million and Business Trusts 4,100 shares.
Related: Bursa Malaysia