Share prices on Bursa Malaysia closed lower across the board today on persistent selling in line with the easier regional markets, dealers said.

At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) fell 26.78 points, or 1.64 per cent, to close at 1,609.93.

The benchmark index had opened 7.5 points lower at 1,629.21 and fluctuated between 1,603.26 and 1,629.63 throughout the day.

Losers overwhelmed gainers by 972 to 96 while 165 counters were unchanged, 558 untraded and 12 others suspended.

Total volume rose to 2.49 billion units valued at RM2.29 billion from 1.99 billion units valued at RM2.07 billion on Tuesday.

Mercury Securities head of research, Edmund Tham, said China's yuan devaluation move was affecting the global equities market as it was not expected, nevertheless the effect would be temporary.

He told Bernama the weakening ringgit had also dampened market sentiment and the rebound would take place once the currency has stabilised.

The market fell below the 1,614-point level as most of the 30 index-linked counters were traded in the red on profit-taking.

On the local scoreboard, the FBM Emas Index declined 239.58 points to 11,016.02, FBMT100 Index fell 214.85 points to 10,750.77 and the FBM Syariah dropped 240.10 points to 11,452.79.

The FBM 70 went down 368.49 points to 11,723.39 and the FBM Ace reduced 332.15 points to 5,427.13.

On a sectoral basis, the Finance Index tumbled 371.22 points to 14,333.99, Plantation Index fell 79.31 points to 7,075.36 and the Industrial Index declined 26.08 points to 3,106.45.

Among actives, Frontken shed 2.5 sen to 20.5 sen, Sumatec lost one sen to 14 sen, Unisem shed two sen to RM1.71 and AirAsia X eased one sen to 19 sen.

Of the heavyweights, Maybank declined 11 sen to RM8.41, Public Bank fell 28 sen to RM18.20, TNB lost 20 sen to RM10.80 and Sime Darby shed 12 sen to RM8.04.

Axiata was flat at RM5.97.

Main Market volume rose to 1.43 billion units worth RM2.06 billion against Tuesday's 1.05 million units worth RM1.84 billion.

Turnover on the ACE Market increased to 453.87 million shares valued at RM71.41 million from 328.78 million shares valued at RM83.44 million previously.

Warrants declined to 605.24 million units worth RM161.59 million from 608.72 million units worth RM146.85 million yesterday.

Consumer products accounted for 131.08 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products (295.01 million), construction (78.38 million), trade and services (544.31 million), technology (80.92 million), infrastructure (17.65 million), SPAC (35.84 million), finance (78.27 million), hotels (2.26 million), properties (124.77 million), plantations (21.46 million), mining (113,000), REITs (16.49 million), and closed/fund (126,300).

- Bernama

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