KUALA LUMPUR: Foreign investors are now net buyers of RM11 million of Malaysian equities year-to-date (YTD) following last week's activity, according to CIMB Securities.
The firm noted that foreign investors remained the largest net buyers for the fourth consecutive week, although their weekly net buy dropped by nine per cent to RM873 million.
Local retail investors, meanwhile, emerged as the largest net sellers last week, with their net selling flows more than doubling to RM494 million worth of equities.
CIMB Securities said local institutional investors (-RM323 million) were the second largest net sellers, followed by nominee investors (-RM133 million).
"YTD, local institutional investors remain the largest net buyers, followed by proprietary and foreign investors while retail and nominees were net sellers," it said in a report today.
"Observations of fund flows from May 10-16 revealed foreign investors broadened its net buy flows to healthcare sector, which emerged as the largest net buy sector.
This is followed closely by net buy in the utilities and transport sectors," it added. The three sectors, accounted for 80 per cent of their total net buy value.
In terms of stocks, the top three net buy stocks by foreign investors were Top Glove Corp Bhd, Hartalega Holdings Bhd and CIMB Group Holdings Bhd.
Local institutional investors remained net sellers with their net selling concentrated in the utilities, financial services and transport sectors, with CIMB, Malaysia Airports Holdimngs Bhd and Tenaga Nasional Bhd among their top three net sell-offs.
Meanwhile, retail investors were the key net sellers in the healthcare sector and their top net sells were Top Glove and Hartalega.
"Technology were the top performing sector last week but interestingly the largest net buyer is proprietary investors and their largest net buy stock in the technology sector was Datasonic Group Bhd," CIMB Securities added.