KUALA LUMPUR: The FBM KLCI advanced for the seventh consecutive session on Thursday on continued buying interest in plantation stocks.

       At 5pm, the 30-stock index rose 1.82 points, or 0.11% to 1,605.02. The market traded within a range of 12.88 points between an intra-day high of 1,614.82 and a low of 1,601.94 during the day.

       Losers trounced gainers by 515 to 423, while 457 counters traded unchanged. Trading volume was brisk at 3.91 billion shares valued at RM3.339bil.

       Stock market data showed foreign funds were net buyers at RM242mil on Feb 16, 2022. Local institutions and retailers were net sellers at RM223mil and RM19mil respectively.

       Among the 30 FBM KLCI constituents, 12 stocks closed higher while 14 closed lower.

       Kuala Lumpur Kepong jumped RM1 to RM26.60, Sime Darby Plantation rose 27 sen to RM4.91 and PPB advanced 20 sen to RM17.24.

       Batu Kawan rose RM1.36 to RM27.10 and Genting Plantations added 70 sen to RM8.50.

       Carlsberg surged RM2.10 to RM22.30, Heineken Malaysia advanced RM2.06 to RM22.42 and DKSH gained 68 sen to RM5.48.

       Among the decliners, Sam Engineering shed 54 sen to RM23, Aeon Credit lost 30 sen to RM14.70, Pentamaster fell 18 sen to RM3.89 and PMB Technology eased 16 sen to RM17.94.

       Elsewhere in the region, Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 0.83%, while Seoul's Kospi gained 0.53%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index closed up 0.3% and the Shanghai Composite Index advanced 0.06%.