KUALA LUMPUR: The FBM KLCI advanced on Thursday as investors tracked Wall Street higher, although sentiment remained muted on the high number of new Covid infections.

       At 12.30pm, the key index was up 6.91 points to 1,523,43, led higher by financial counters ahead of Friday's release of the country's inflation rate.

       Maybank was up three sen to RM8.04, CIMB gained six sen to RM4.54 and Hong Leong Bank rose 10 sen to RM18.40.

       While glove counters have returned to the spotlight in recent days due to the spread of the Delta variant of the Covid virus, investors have been quick to take profit in the sector in anticipation that the demand spike may be short-lived.

       Sector leader Top Glove fell six sen to RM4.10 while Hartalega lost 19 sen to RM7.70.

       Meanwhile Press Metal rose seven sen to RM4.87 while Digi climbed seven sen to RM4.20.

       On the broader market, top actives were Kanger down 0.5 sen to seven sen, Borneo Oil unchanged at three sen and Saudee down two sen to 17 sen.

       Meanwhile, Asian stocks rallied as Covid anxieities eased in light of reassurances of policy support from the European Central Bank.

       Japan's Nikkei rose 0.6% and South Korea's Kospi climbed 1.1%.

       In China, the composite index added 0.3% while Hong Kong's Hang Seng jumped 1.8%.

       Australia's ASX200 was up 0.9%.