Selective buying of defensive stocks lifts Bursa Malaysia higher at close
Bursa Malaysia closed higher on Wednesday, the FBM KLCI gaining 3.08 points to 1,715.56 as selective demand for defensive counters outweighed persistent geopolitical concerns.
Source: The Star · July 29, 2026 at 2:41 PM · AI-assisted report
Single-sourceBURSA MALAYSIA, 29 JULY 2026 —
Bursa Malaysia closed higher on Wednesday, the FBM KLCI gaining 3.08 points to 1,715.56 as selective demand for defensive counters outweighed persistent geopolitical concerns.
Market Impact
The index, which opened 1.91 points above Tuesday’s close at 1,714.39, swung between intraday extremes of 1,710.79 and 1,720.59 before settling at the day’s high. Turnover rose to 2.96 billion shares worth RM2.48 billion, compared with Tuesday’s 2.94 billion shares valued at RM2.56 billion.
Consumer products and services led the advance, said Mohd Sedek Jantan, director of investment strategy and country economist at IPPFA Sdn Bhd. “Consumer and telecom names were the main drivers because their earnings outlook is relatively defensive,” he told Bernama. He added that Brent crude prices had eased from recent peaks, but the unpredictable West Asia conflict kept risk appetite subdued.
The market also adopted a cautious stance ahead of the US Federal Reserve’s policy decision and quarterly results from major US technology companies. Investors were watching for evidence that AI-related capital spending was translating into stronger earnings and sustainable long-term growth, he said.
Among heavyweights, CIMB Group added five sen to RM7.81 and IHH Healthcare rose one sen to RM8.35, while Maybank and Public Bank each shed four sen to RM10.86 and RM5.15 respectively. Tenaga Nasional dipped six sen to RM14.60.
The FBM Emas Index jumped 31.09 points to 12,672.81, the FBMT 100 Index added 30.78 points to 12,507.17 and the FBM Mid 70 Index climbed 79.77 points to 17,981.63. The FBM Emas Shariah Index recovered 47.84 points to 12,505.37 and the FBM ACE Index rose 38.42 points to 4,924.71.
By sector, the Plantation Index surged 70.33 points to 9,301.92, the Industrial Products and Services Index inched up 0.86 point to 186.33, but the Financial Services Index fell 37.49 points to 20,216.97 and the Energy Index eased 2.74 points to 760.68.
Advancers outnumbered decliners 550 to 476, with 612 counters unchanged, 1,129 untraded and 48 suspended.
Top gainers included Nestlé, which jumped RM3.12 to RM96.78, United Plantations, up RM1 to RM34, and Kuala Lumpur Kepong, which gained 22 sen to RM20.76. Hong Leong Industries added 22 sen to RM18.10 and Vitrox rose 19 sen to RM8.05.
The losers’ list was led by Sam Engineering & Equipment, which fell 26 sen to RM4.24, Hong Leong Bank, down 26 sen to RM24.04, and UMS Integration, which lost 22 sen to RM7.
Main Market turnover slipped to 1.32 billion shares worth RM2.16 billion from 1.51 billion shares valued at RM2.27 billion on Tuesday. Warrant turnover climbed to 1.16 billion units worth RM148.38 million versus 978.15 million units worth RM126.23 million previously. The ACE Market saw volume leap to 478.75 million shares valued at RM173.06 million from 452.85 million shares worth RM159.81 million.
Consumer products and services accounted for 176.83 million shares, industrial products 273.73 million, construction 87.58 million, technology 251.03 million, financial services 49.73 million, property 160.54 million, plantation 36.70 million, REITs 20.89 million, closed-end funds 900,271, energy 108.85 million, healthcare 75.86 million, telecoms 27.54 million, transport 28.40 million and utilities 27.64 million; business trusts recorded nil turnover.
Related: Bursa Malaysia