KUALA LUMPUR: The domestic market's recent upside momentum, which took the benchmark index back to five-month highs, could continue in pending further positive catalysts.

       According to TA Securities Research, the positive market breadth and renewed buying interest sustaining the robust recovery in property and construction stocks could spillover to the oil and gas, technology and blue-chip sectors on rotational buying.

       On the global scene, last Friday's weaker US payrolls data which signaled rising unemployment and an easing in wage growth reinforced expectations that the Fed will keep interest rates steady at its September meeting, which should pacify investors and reduce jittery sentiment over further rate hikes, the research firm added in its review.

       At the open, the benchmark FBM KLCI was up 0.64 points to 1,464.07 as the market struggled to sustain the recent rally.

       There was still some lingering buying interest in bank counters after their recent run, with Public Bank gaining two sen to RM4.2.6 and CIMB adding two sen to RM5.76 and RHB rising two sen to RM5.67.

       PETRONAS Chemicals gained four sen to RM7.16, Tenaga Nasional rose two sen to RM9.94 and Press Metal added two sen to RM4.94.

       Among active stocks, KNM added one sen to 10.5 sen, JAKS was unchanged at 23.5 sen and DNeX rose 1.5 sen to 48 sen.

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