Bank gains lift Bursa benchmark as declining stocks outnumber advances
The FBM KLCI gained 0.14 per cent, but 652 stocks fell against 403 that rose as technology shares remained under pressure.
Malaysia’s FBM KLCI closed at 1,621.85 on November 3, 2026, gaining 2.34 points, or 0.14 per cent, as buying in major banking stocks helped offset weakness elsewhere. Technology shares continued to face selling pressure.
Market breadth was negative, with 652 counters declining and 403 advancing, while another 502 finished unchanged. Trading volume fell to 2.63 billion units from 2.65 billion units in the previous session, although the value traded increased to RM2.64 billion from RM2.10 billion.
Maybank gained six sen to finish at RM10.04, while CIMB also rose six sen, reaching RM6.98. Public Bank advanced two sen to RM4.81. Outside banking, Tenaga Nasional lost 14 sen to RM13.16 and IHH Healthcare declined nine sen to RM7.76.
Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice-president of equity research Thong Pak Leng told Bernama that external uncertainties were keeping investors cautious about taking new positions. He attributed the mostly weaker regional markets to semiconductor selling, reflecting concerns about substantial artificial intelligence spending and potential returns.
Sector indices reflected the uneven performance. Financial Services advanced 147.51 points to 18,716.91, while Plantation added 67.42 points to 8,769.65. Energy declined 9.89 points to 827.00, and Industrial Products and Services lost 1.19 points to 177.58.
