KUALA LUMPUR: Follow-through buying interest in selected heavyweights pushed the FBM KLCI to break through the crucial 1,600 level on Friday.

       At 5pm, the benchmark index was up 4.33 points or 0.27% to 1,603.30, its highest three weeks. For the week, the FBM KLCI gained 12.04 points.

       Turnover was 2.78 million shares valued at RM2.21bil. There were 592 gainers, 378 losers and 429 counters unchanged.

       Malaysian Pacific Industries Bhd (MPI) was the top gainer, jumping RM1.32 to RM38.90, followed by Nestle, which added 60 sen to RM136.60, Box-Pak, which rose 26 sen to RM1.40 and Sime Darby added 20 sen to RM2.54.

       The decliners were led by Hong Seng’s warrants, Heineken, KESM and Advanced Packaging.

       Among the banks, Maybank fell eight sen to RM8.90, Hong Leong Bank lost six sen to RM20.34, RHB Bank eased one sen to RM5.99, Public Bank added one sen to RM4.66 and CIMB rose 10 sen to RM5.37.

       On the external front, MSCI’s Asia ex-Japan stock index was lower by 1%.

       Japan’s Nikkei 225 advanced 0.14% to 28,149.84 while South Korea’s Kospi closed up 0.012%, at 2,729.98.

       Hong Kong’s Hang Seng ended 2.47% lower at 21,404.88.

       China’s CSI300 index fell 1.8% to 4,174.57 while the Shanghai Composite eased 1.17% to 3,212.24.