KUALA LUMPUR: The domestic market remained cautious as it entered the penultimate day of the first-quarter earnings season, where a series of bank earnings are expected to be released.

       At 9.05am, the FBM KLCI was down 1.25 points to 1,545.51. The overall market was positive with 188 gainers compared with 134 decliners.

       According to Kenanga Research, the FBM KLCI can be expected to continue its range-bound motion as investors remain cautious over ongoing developments.

       "In the absence of fresh market catalysts, investor sentiment is expected to stay dismal," it said in weekly technical report.

       "From a technical perspective, the FBMKLCI could extend its range bound pattern – with a marginal negative bias – as the Parabolic SAR indicator is presently exhibiting a downward trend.

       "On the chart, the key market barometer is expected to fluctuate more towards our immediate support threshold of 1,510 while 1,550 still stands as our first resistance barrier to cap any intermittent counter rally," it added.

       There was caution in bank stocks ahead of their earnings reports with Public Bank sliding one sen to RM4.61 and CIMB down one sen to RM5.04. RHB was unchanged at RM5.05 and Hong Leong Bank remained untraded.

       Petronas Chemicals rose 12 sen to RM10.10 while Tenaga Nasional slipped four sen to RM9.21 and Press Metal was up one sen to RM5.49.

       On the broader market, top actives were Green Packet up 0.5 sen to 8.5 sen, Sapura Energy rising 0.5 sen to 8.5 sen and Cypark down three sen to 37.5 sen.