KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia ended mixed with the benchmark index marginally lower, as profit-taking activities dampened the upward momentum observed on Friday.
Investors showed interest in construction and tech stocks, whereas selling pressure was more evident in the telco, transportation, and energy sectors.
At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) fell 0.61 points to 1,678.19 from Friday's close of 1,678.80.
The key index began the day 1.56 points higher at 1,680.36, climbed to an intraday peak of 1,683.43, and then fell to a low of 1,671.19 during the mid-morning session.
On the broader market, gainers outnumbered decliners 679 to 467, while 464 counters were unchanged.
Turnover fell to 3.25 billion units valued at RM3.02 billion from Friday's 3.95 billion units valued at RM6.22 billion.
Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd equity research vice president Thong Pak Leng said investors are reluctant to make significant moves ahead of a series of economic data releases.
This includes China's August export/import figures and Caixin Manufacturing purchasing managers index (PMI), as well as the US Federal Reserve's trade balance and unemployment rate.
"Accordingly, we foresee the benchmark index maintaining its sideways trajectory with a slight upward tendency for the week.
"Should the index break and sustain the 1,680 resistance level, it could pave the way for further gains.
"We expect the FBM KLCI to trade between 1,670 and 1,700 throughout the week," he told Business Times.
Across the region, Thong said key indices delivered mixed results as traders braced for a week rich in economic data, likely to shape expectations on the pace of monetary policy easing by major central banks.
He added that similar profit-taking activity was noted across Asian markets following last week's gains.