KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia began the week on a subdued note, opening lower on Monday as investor sentiment mirrored Wall Street's weak performance last Friday.
At 9.05am, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) slipped 1.65 points to 1,626.49, from Friday's close of 1,628.14.
The benchmark index initially opened two points lower at 1,626.14.
The overall market tone was slightly bearish, with 154 counters registering losses compared to 148 gainers.
A total of 322 counters remained unchanged, 1,788 were untraded and 66 were suspended.
Turnover stood at 126.96 million units, valued at RM55.91 million.
Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd remains optimistic about Bursa Malaysia's performance for the year-end, projecting the FBM KLCI to potentially close higher with an immediate resistance level at 1,650.
"For today, we anticipate the benchmark index to trade within the 1,630 to 1,640 range," he said.
Among heavyweights, Malayan Banking Bhd rose two sen to RM10.12, while CelcomDigi Bhd climbed three sen to RM3.68.
Petronas Gas Bhd advanced six sen to RM17.66, and IHH Healthcare Bhd and Hong Leong Bank Bhd remained unchanged at RM7.23 and RM20.36 respectively.
Conversely, Public Bank Bhd fell two sen to RM4.55, and CIMB Group Holdings Bhd dropped five sen to RM8.10.
Among active stocks, TWL Holdings Bhd gained half a sen to three sen, Supermax Corp Bhd rose three sen to RM1.31, MUI Properties Bhd was two sen higher at 45.5 sen, while Aneka Jaringan Holdings Bhd and PUC Bhd were flat at 16 sen and 4.5 sen respectively.