Maybank, IOI among top movers at midday 12.30pm 02 June 2009

Maybank and IOI were among the top movers at midday Tuesday as investors remained positive over recent economic data from China and the US, which saw factory orders recovering.

At the close of the midday session, the KLCI was up 0.30% to 1,065.00 while Singapore’s Straits Times Index added 0.99% to 2,403.58.

Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 grew 0.96% to 9,770.99 while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index lost 0.30% to 18,831.85.
Shanghai’s A share index gained 0.64% to 2,738.82 and Seoul’s Kospi Index advanced 1.00% to 1,429.25.
At Bursa Malaysia, there were 349 gainers, 214 losers while 222 other counters were traded unchanged. There were 1.39 billion shares done at a total value of RM1.14 billion.

Bank and plantation stocks were featured prominently among counters that were traded heavily.
Among bank stocks, Maybank added 15 sen to RM5.45, Public Bank gained 10 sen to RM8.70 while its foreign tranche added 10 sen to RM8.80.
BCHB dropped 5 sen to RM8.70, Hong Leong Bank gained 15 sen to RM5.80 and AMMB was 2 sen lower at RM3.34. Plantation stocks IOI was up 6 sen to RM4.64, KL Kepong gained 20 sen to RM11.90 and Sime fell 10 sen to RM7.00. MAS was down 8 sen to RM3.20, Shell dropped 40 sen to RM10.80 while Genting added 5 sen to RM5.65.

SAAG was the most active with 124 million shares done, rising 3.5 sen to 37.5 sen while KNM added four sen to RM1.03. Scomi gained eight sen to 79.5 sen. JAKS rose 10.5 sen to 94.5 sen on expectations of securing more contracts.

Tenaga fell 15 sen and it was the main drag on the KLCI. Other decliners were Crest Builder-WA, sliding 17 sen to 21 sen and Parkson, also down 17 sen to RM4.98.

Nymex crude oil retreated 13 cents to US$68.45 per barrel.

Crude palm oil added RM6 to RM2,631 per tonne.
The ringgit was quoted at 3.486 to the US dollar.