KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia opened mixed on Friday before buying interest pushed the key index into positive territory.
The FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) opened at 1,541.56, lower than the 1,542.80 close yesterday.
By 9.23am however buying interest pushed the key index into positive territory, gaining some 1.39 points.
The wider market was positive, with gainers outnumbering losers 329 to 247, while 345 stocks remained unchanged.
Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd equity research vice president Thong Pak Leng said the purchase of domestic stocks will persist due to the positive impact of the rate news, significantly boosting investor confidence.
"As such, we anticipate the benchmark index to trend within the range of 1,540-1,550 for today," he said.
On the global front, Wall Street ended with gains as the Federal Reserve reaffirmed its projection of three interest rate reductions for the year.
"Yesterday's movements followed a triumphant day on Wall Street, with the three major indexes hitting new closing highs," Thong added.
Significantly, the S&P 500 climbed beyond the 5,200 level for the inaugural time.
Meanwhile, the Dow Jones surged by 0.68 per cent, finishing slightly under the 40,000 threshold.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index (HSI) concluded notably higher due to robust purchases in technology shares following Beijing's announcement of new measures to bolster the economy.