KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia opened mixed on Thursday despite Wall Street's positive sentiment as the US Federal Reserve kept rates unchanged and signalled a cut in September.
At 9.45am, FTSE Bursa Malaysia (FBM) KLCI was down 0.19 per cent or 3.02 points to 1,622.55 versus Wednesday's close of 1,625.57.
The key index opened marginally higher at 1,625.87.
The broader market saw losers lead gainers 397 to 302, while 404 counters were unchanged.
On the index board, FBM100 dropped 0.09 per cent to 12,097.84, FBM Emas was down 0.07 per cent to 12,508.45, and FBM Ace was up 0.1 per cent to 5,666.86.
Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd equity research vice president Thong Pak Leng said the FBM KLCI uptrend gathered pace yesterday as buyers emerged in force during the afternoon session.
For today, the firm noted buying activities should continue, taking cue from the robust performance on Wall Street overnight, thus expecting the index to hover within the 1,625-1,640 range.
"Meanwhile, the heightening tension in the Middle East has pushed crude oil prices higher with the Brent crude closing nearer to US$81 per barrel," he said