Asian markets up, KLCI falls in early trade

KUALA LUMPUR: Most Asian markets rose in early trade on Thursday despite US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke’s comments that a recession was possible in the United States, while at Bursa Malaysia, blue chips extended their losses from the previous day.

At 10am, the KLCI was down points 5.36 points to 1,234.29. Turnover was 119 million shares valued at RM186mil. There were 87 gainers, 251 losers and 136 counters unchanged.

Singapore’s Straits Times Index rose 12.88 points or 0.41% to 3,137.49; Japan’s Nikkei 225 added 0.06% to 13,196.77 while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index gained 0.56% to 2.4003.97. Shanghai’s A Share Index fell 0.68% to 3,489.03.

On Wall Street, stocks fell on Bernanke’s remarks, spurring profit-taking a day after the market's biggest rally in two weeks. The Dow Jones industrial average lost 48.53 points, or 0.38%, at 12,605.83.

At Bursa Malaysia, the major losers were KL Kepong which fell 40 sen to RM15; BAT lost 25 sen to RM42.50 while Tanjong, SP Setia and DiGi lost 20 sen each to RM16.40; RM3.48 and RM24 respectively. IJM and Tenaga gave up 15 sen each to RM6 and RM7.35.

However, Kinsteel rose five sen to RM1.19 in active trade after its proposed listing of Perwaja Steel received the Securities Commission’s approval. The warrants jumped 15 sen to RM1.10.

Well Multi, which plans to sell RM30mil of its shares to GEM Global Yield Fund Limited and GEM Investment Advisors Inc, rose 4.5 sen to 43.5 sen. It was the most active with 8.61 million shares done.

Sin Chew rose 15 sen to RM2.65, while BCHB and United Plantations added 10 sen each to RM10.30 and RM13.20 respectively.

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