KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia closed higher at lunch break supported by gains in healthcare and plantation counters.
At 12.30pm, FTSE Bursa Malaysia (FBM) KLCI closed 0.18 per cent or 2.89 points to 1,617.62 versus Thursday's close 1,614.73.
The key index opened at 1,615.97 and hit the highest level of 1,622.49 in the morning trading session.
The broader market was positive with gainers surpassing losers 690 to 375 while 464 counters were unchanged.
On the index board, FBM100 added 0.34 per cent to 11,936.26, FBM Emas gained 0.39 per cent to 12,351.71 and FBM Ace was up 0.86 per cent to 5,547.25.
Of the actives, Nestle (Malaysia) Bhd emerged as the top gainer, adding 70 sen to RM125.50 and Hartalega Holdings Bhd gained 25 sen to RM3.44.
On the losing end, Fraser & Neave Holdings Bhd dropped 36 sen to RM32.
Berjaya Mutual Sdn Bhd said in a note that the FBM KLCI rebounded on Thursday to climb back to the 1,615 level.
"Market conditions were buoyed by the gains among key global indices a day earlier with the key index's performance also mirroring the gains among regional indices on expectation that global interest rates could be reduced in the third quarter of 2024," it said in a note.