KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia’s benchmark index ended 1.27 per cent firmer today as investors’ optimism was uplifted by Bank Negara Malaysia’s (BNM) move to maintain the Overnight Policy Rate (OPR), a dealer said.

       At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) strengthened 20.44 points to 1,618.54 from 1,598.10 at yesterday's close.

       The barometer index, which opened 10.59 points higher at 1,608.69, moved between 1,600.18 and 1,618.54 throughout the trading session.

       However, on the broader market, losers thumped gainers 530 to 433, while 408 counters were unchanged, 869 untraded, and 10 others suspended.

       Turnover improved to 3.43 billion units valued at RM3.76 billion from Wednesday’s 3.23 billion units valued at RM3.68 billion.

       The central bank today decided to maintain the OPR at 1.75 per cent at its second Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting of the year, noting that the overall recovery trajectory remained on track despite the recent moderation in economic activity due to the Omicron-driven COVID-19 resurgences.

       Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice-president of equity research Thong Pak Leng said the upward trajectory was also boosted by buying support on selected heavyweights such as banking, plantation and oil and gas stocks.

       Regionally, he said key indices closed mostly higher following overnight positive performance on Wall Street, while investors were optimistic amid ongoing talks to diffuse the Russia-Ukraine crisis.

       "On the domestic front, the performance of the local bourse should remain steady as foreign funds continue to accumulate on local equities, although we do not discount the possibility of intermittent correction,” he told Bernama.

       As such, he said, the FBM KLCI was expected to trend range-bound, hovering within the 1,610-1,625 range towards the weekend.

       Among the heavyweights, Maybank gained 18 sen to RM9.12, Public Bank added two sen to RM4.43, Petronas Chemicals improved 23 sen to RM10.0, IHH Healthcare rose one sen to RM6.57 and Press Metal ticked up 15 sen to RM7.22.

       Of the actives, Dagang Nexchange shed six sen to RM1.08 and V.S Industry slid 14 sen to 96 sen, while Hibiscus Petroleum expanded eight sen to RM1.30.

       On the index board, FBM ACE dipped 77.30 points to 5,676.59, FBM 70 reduced 27.04 points to 13,438.10, FBM Emas Index rose 105.20 points to 11,477.67, FBMT 100 Index gained 106.00 points to 11,154.74, and FBM Emas Shariah Index lifted 101.08 points to 12,241.65.

       Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index bagged 153.91 points to 16,507.48, the Industrial Products and Services Index was 1.96 points firmer at 214.32, and the Plantation Index climbed 172.55 points to 8,782.59.

       The Main Market volume perked to 2.55 billion shares worth RM3.53 billion from 2.31 billion shares worth RM3.47 billion on Wednesday.

       Warrants turnover fell to 326.85 million units worth RM37.66 million compared with 362.36 million units worth RM47.14 million yesterday.

       The ACE Market volume narrowed to 547.28 million shares valued at RM186.60 million versus 554.21 million shares valued at RM168.42 million previously.

       Consumer products and services counters accounted for 365.37 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products and services (745.66 million), construction (83.06 million), technology (340.93 million), SPAC (nil), financial services (106.87 million), property (136.92 million), plantation (241.59 million), REITs (8.02 million), closed/fund (16,100), energy (389.95 million), healthcare (39.69 million), telecommunications and media (29.71 million), transportation and logistics (36.56 million), and utilities (31.27 million). - Bernama