KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia closed positively, buoyed by increased buying activity in key banking stocks.
At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI rose by 0.09 per cent, gaining 1.43 points to close at 1,616.75, compared to Wednesday's close of 1,615.32.
The benchmark index opened 0.64 points higher at 1,615.96 and fluctuated between 1,614.71 and 1,619.75 throughout the trading session.
On the broader market, there were 586 gainers and 558 decliners, with 495 counters remaining unchanged.
Malacca Securities Sdn Bhd said the increased buying activity in the banking stocks was supported by optimism surrounding improved net interest margins and incomes.
Meanwhile, it observed that the Healthcare sector saw a 1.96 per cent increase, emerging as the top-performing sector.
Top Glove Corporation Bhd gained 6.0 sen, while Hartalega Holdings Bhd rose by 9.0 sen.
"Conversely, the Technology sector declined by 0.49 per cent, making it the lagging sector," it added.
Malacca Securities noted that the crude palm oil prices (CPO) fell by RM11 to RM4,071, while Dow Futures increased by 75 points to 39,711 points.