KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia extended its losses, falling below the critical psychological level of 1,600 points amid mixed regional markets sentiment.
At 5pm, the index closed down by 9.52 points or 0.59 per cent, at 1,597.33 after fluctuating between an intraday high of 1,606.81 and a low of 1,594.51.
On the broader market, there were 346 gainers, 704 losers, and 530 counters that traded unchanged.
Turnover was recorded at 2.992 billion shares, valued at RM2.437 billion.
Almost all sectors ended in the red, except for Telco & Media (+0.12 per cent), which was led by CelcomDigi Bhd (+1.0 sen) and Astro Malaysia Holdings Bhd (+0.5 sen).
In a note today, Malacca Securities Research said the overall market sentiment was negative due to declines in heavyweights within the industrial products and services sector, including Press Metal Aluminium.
The firm said this reflects a typical off-season trend, with numerous manufacturers either scaling down or undergoing maintenance due to reduced order volumes, which potentially pressured aluminium prices lower.
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