by RAHIMI YUNUS / graphic by TMR

The KLCI rose higher before the morning break today as the anxieties over a full blown US-China trade war simmered down.

At 12.30 pm, the main index jumped 7.93 points to 1,680.25, extending yesterday’s gain after it closed at 1,672.63 points.

The index opened higher at 1,675.05 and moved to a high of 1,682.45 during the session.

Gainers outnumbered losers 388 against 285 counters, while 359 stocks were unchanged and 836 were not traded.

Top gainers include Top Glove Corp Bhd, Heineken Bhd and Fraser & Neave Holdings Bhd. Dutch Lady Milk Industries Bhd, United Plantations Bhd and Negri Sembilan Oil Palm Bhd were among the top losers.

Regional stocks also tracked the positive momentum and landed in positive territories.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 was up 219.33 points while Korea’s KOSPI inched 10.39 points higher. The Hang Seng Index also gained 118.59 points at 28,807.09, while Singapore’s STI rose 43.55 points to 3,272.37.

US markets rose on expectations of a robust earnings season. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 320.11 points at 24,776.59 and the S&P 500 jumped 24.35 points to 2,784.17.