KUALA LUMPUR: The FBM KLCI finished higher for the second day, putting 0.24%, extending the previous session’s gains on follow-through interest.

       The benchmark index rose 3.6 points to 1,516.58 after hitting an intraday high of 1,521.23.

       Overall, losers trounced gainers 690 to 311, with 460 counters unchanged. Turnover for the day stood at 3.65 billion shares valued at RM3bil.

       KLCI-component stocks were mixed with 16 gainers, 10 decliners and four counters unchanged.

       Dealers said the buying interest in banking stocks lifted the market, posting strong gains and boosting the overall KLCI.

       The FBM KLCI has risen more than 60 points or 4.25% since the beginning of 2024.

       Movers in the KLCI component stocks included Maybank which pushed the index up by 1.3895. Maybank rose eight sen to RM9.34.

       StarPicks

       REVOLUTIONISING MANUFACTURING AND LOGISTICS IN THE IoT ERA

       Public Bank gained four sen to RM4.43, boosting the index by 1.1182 points while Tenaga Nasional jumped 14 sen to RM10.86, lifting the index higher by 1.1182 points.

       PETRONAS Dagangan had the biggest advance, increasing 16 sen to RM21.50.

       YTL Power slid 17 sen to RM3.94 and YTL fell 10 sen to RM2.24.

       On the broader market, F&N surged 52 sen to RM28.22, Heineken rose 30 sen to RM24.40, Malaysia Airports added 21 sen to RM7.90 and Sunway Construction gained 20 sen to RM2.45.

       Malaysian Pacific Industries lost 44 sen to RM26.56, Apollo Food fell 18 sen to RM5.46 and Scientex declined 14 sen to RM3.86.

       Meanwhile, the ringgit rose 0.29% against the US dollar at 4.7165.

       On the external front, China’s CSI 300 Index closed down 1.18% at 3,179.63 while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index fell 0.21% to 15,533.56.

       Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 0.41% to 36,158.02 and the South Korea's Kospi was up 2.87% at 2,615.31.