KUALA LUMPUR: In a sharp reversal, the FBM KLCI retraced earlier gains to enter the lunch break in negative territory.

       At 12.30pm, the benchmark index was down 5.59 points to 1,602.69.

       The market breadth was negative with 509 decliners compared to 369 gainers.

       CIMB led the decline, falling 34 sen to RM5.37, in contrast to an advance in financial heavyweights.

       Maybank climbed 22 sen to RM8.98 while Public Bank was unchanged at RM4.45 and Hong Leong Bank rose 44 sen to RM20.50.

       Petronas Chemicals meanwhile was up five sen to RM9.60 while Press Metal dropped six sen to RM6.77.

       Meanwhile, telco counters also retreated, led by Axiata down eight sen to RM3.85, Digi down three sen to RM4.02 and Maxis falling three sen to RM3.99.

       Top actives on the market included SMTrack down 0.5 sen to 23.5 sen, Bumi Armada falling 0.5 sen ot 47 sen and Velesto unchanged at 12 sen.

       Major Asian markets found their footing on Tuesday as Ukraine forces have so far kept Russian forces from entering Kyiv.

       Japan's Nikkei rose 1.6%, South Korea's Kospi added 0.8% and China's composite index climbed 0.3%.

       Hong Kong's Hang Seng was down 0.1% while Australia's ASX200 gained 0.75%.