KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia closed in the red today weighed down by cautious sentiment across regional markets.
At 5pm, FTSE Bursa Malaysia (FBM) KLCI dropped 0.26 per cent or 4.16 points to 1,598.18 versus Tuesday's close of 1,602.34.
The key index moved between 1,594.51 and 1,606.28 throughout the day.
The broader market saw losers lead gainers 546 to 457 while 527 counters were unchanged.
On the index board, FBM100 shed 0.09 per cent to 11,866.80, FBM Emas dropped 0.08 per cent to 12,165.88 and FBM Ace lost 0.01 per cent to 5,189.60.
Tradeview Capital fund manager Neoh Jia Man said the FBM KLCI was particularly dragged down by declines in utilities and banking stocks, both of which are heavyweight sectors within the index.
For the remainder of the week, he said key risks include ongoing corporate earnings announcements, where some companies may report sharp profit declines due to the ringgit's significant appreciation last quarter.
"Additionally, investors should monitor upcoming US economic data releases on Thursday and Friday, which could influence global market sentiment and indirectly impact local equities," added Neoh.