An investor monitors the stock prices in the gallery of the RHB Investment Bank Bhd headquarters in Kuala Lumpur March 17, 2020. ― Picture by Hari Anggara
The market barometer opened 3.37 points higher at 1,507.21 and hovered between 1,505.92 and 1,521.91 throughout the day. Rakuten Trade head of research Kenny Yee said the reinstatement of the conditional movement control order drew retail investors back to the equity market, where they had embarked on bargain hunting for local stocks, with healthcare and technology among their top picks.
Japanese Nikkei 225 rose 1.11 per cent to 23,671.13, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng expanded 0.64 per cent to 24,542.26, while Singapore’s Straits Times was 0.42 per cent higher at 2,543.5.Among the 30 FBM KLCI constituents, 21 counters were trading higher, with healthcare-linked counters Top Glove and Hartalega jumping 35 sen and 62 sen to RM9.60 and RM19, respectively, while Petronas Chemicals was 14 sen stronger at RM6 and Nestle bagged RM2.60 to RM142.
Among the actives, Lambo added half-a-sen to 3.5 sen, Luster inched up five sen to 22.5 sen and Mah Sing was 29.5 sen better at RM1.24.