KUALA LUMPUR: Share prices on Bursa Malaysia ended the day higher yesterday as sentiment improved globally with the recent steps worldwide to tackle the financial crisis, said dealers.

Interest on key index stocks, especially financial related stocks, helped push the Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (KLCI) to 899.35, up 35.74 points or 4.14 per cent after opening 3.43 points higher at 867.04 yesterday morning.

The Industrial Index increased 40.57 points to 2,126.21, the Finance Index gained 359.04 points to 6,977.60 and the Plantation Index added 237.56 points to 3,794.51.

The FBMEmas rose 245.70 points to 5,914.23, the FBM30 advanced 238.02 points to 5,881.38, the FBM2BRD was 40.24 points higher at 4,329.17 and the FBMMesdaq Index went up 82.71 points to 3,426.54.

Gainers led losers by 599 to 133 while 126 counters were unchanged, 476 untraded and 30 others suspended.

Volume rose to 982.139 million shares valued at RM1.235 billion from 810.223 million shares valued at RM1.300 billion Friday.

At home, confidence level was higher in the market ahead of the government’s announcement today to introduce more measures under the financial stabilisation plan to support economic growth.

The announcement is scheduled to be made by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak during the Budget 2009 winding-up session in Parliament.

Volume leaders KNM Group added eight sen to 67 sen, Lion Industries gained 12 sen to 73.5 sen, IOI Corp perked 31 sen to RM3.08, Scomi improved by 3.5 sen to 34 sen and Kinsteel rose 11 sen to 56 sen. As for heavyweights, Sime Darby rose 15 sen to RM6.35, MISC was flat at RM8.50, Public Bank added 25 sen to RM8.60, Maybank gained 50 sen to RM5.85 and Tenaga Nasional perked 20 sen to RM6.15.

Volume on the Main Board improved to 850.355 million shares valued at RM1.215 billion from 742.654 million shares worth RM1.285 billion Friday.

Turnover on the Second Board rose to 57.994 million shares worth RM13.050 million versus 35.777 million shares valued at RM10.350 million previously.

Volume on the Mesdaq Market increased to 36.279 million shares valued at RM5.666 million from 17.507 million shares worth RM4.013 million.

Call warrants added to 37.509 million shares valued at RM1.060 million against 14.285 million shares valued at RM515,030 previously.

Direct business deals rose to 47.680 million shares valued at RM27.063 million compared with 17.196 million shares worth RM10.382 million Friday.

On a sectoral basis, consumer products accounted for 26.108 million shares traded on the Main Board, industrial products 256.420 million, construction 80.883 million, trade/services 200.005 million, technology 7.154 million, infrastructure 21.863 million, finance 58.330 million, hotels 4.040 million, properties 94.714 million, plantations 50.669 million, mining 18,600, REITs 2.396 million, closed/fund 451,600 million, ETF 272,000 and loans 47.027 million.

— Bernama