KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia continued its downtrend for a second consecutive day, weighed down by the ongoing concerns over uncertainties surrounding US policy.
At 9.48am, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) declined 0.21 per cent or 3.4 points to 1,594.09 from Thursday's close of 1,597.49.
The index opened 1.13 points lower at 1,596.36.
On the broader market, losers led gainers 364 to 267 while 342 counters were unchanged and 1,450 untraded.
Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd equity research vice president Thong Pak Leng said that while Wall Street was closed for Thanksgiving Day yesterday, the futures market saw that all three major indices are currently trending positively.
This indicates that the US market should continue with its upward trajectory.
Meanwhile, the US 10-year yield had eased to 4.261 per cent.
Over in Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index (HSI) retreated by 236 points as traders decided to lock in profits after the recent uptrend.
Thong said sentiment remains cautious on expectations for additional incentives from China and whether the Federal Reserve may reduce rates during the FOMC meeting in mid-December.
"Back home, the FBM KLCI ended below the 1,600 level again as hints of window dressing activities evaporated amid the selling by foreign funds during the afternoon session."
"In view of the weak market undertone, we expect bargain hunting to be muted hence expect the index to hover within the 1,600 to 1,610 range today," he said.