KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia ended the day in red, dragged down by utilities, health care and property sectors.
At 12.30 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) declined 0.46 per cent, losing 7.62 points to 1,657.20, compared to Thursday's close of 1,664.82.
The broader market was negative as losers led gainers by 598 to 231, while 418 counters remained unchanged.
Malacca Securities Sdn Bhd said it expects sentiment to remain negative on the local front, particularly within the technology sector, as the strong ringgit environment could lead to softer earnings going forward.
"Conversely, we favour select stocks within the Consumer, Construction, Building Materials, and Utilities sectors, which may benefit from the elevated ringgit.
"Additionally, we believe investors may focus on fundamentally solid companies with high dividend yields, given the current oversold conditions," it said.
In the commodity markets, the Brent oil remained below US$73 due to softer demand from China and the US, despite OPEC+ delayed a production hike for October and November.
Gold prices remained above the US$2,500 level, and crude palm oil (CPO) prices hovered above RM3,900.