KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia tumbled into negative territory at midday break as profit-taking spread to the broader market.
At 12.30pm, FTSE Bursa Malaysia (FBM) KLCI lost 0.24 per cent or 3.89 points to 1,625.57 versus Friday's close of 1,629.46.
The key index opened flat at 1,629.74 and moved between 1,623.83 and 1,631.71 in the morning trading session. The broader market turned negative with losers leading gainers 531 to 408 while 491 counters were unchanged.
FBM 100 dropped 0.05 per cent to 12,197.26, FBM Emas lost 0.04 per cent to 12,528.06 while FBM Ace added 0.02 per cent to 5,473.82.
Maybank Investment Bank said the FBM KLCI continued to fall from last Friday's close with the majority of the blue chips trading in the red today.
"Broad market investors were somewhat selective with interest picking up in healthcare stocks, in particular, gloves related counters. "Top Glove Corp Bhd, Hartalega Holdings Bhd and Kossan Rubber Industries Bhd came back into investors' view as China's new HMPV influenza virus outbreak emerged," it said in a note.