KUALA LUMPUR: The FBM KLCI finished higher on Friday after dipping for two straight sessions, as investors grew more optimistic the Federal Reserve will skip a rate hike next week.

At 5pm, the benchmark index closed up 1.44 points, or 0.1% at 1,376.08 after moving between its intraday high of 1,381.26 and low of 1,373.08.

On a weekly basis, the FBM KLCI lost 0.37% or 5.18 points.

The market’s breadth returned to positive territory with more stocks recovering. Specifically, 489 counters ended higher, while 341 finished lower. Volume traded was3.34 billion shares valued at RM1.49bil.

Among the gainers, Batu Kawan surged 84 sen to RM21.16, KLCC Stapled gained 18 sen to RM7.08, Boustead Plantations rose 15.5 sen to 79.5 sen and EP Manufacturing added 14.5 sen to 89 sen.

Rapid tumbled RM1 to RM19, PETRONAS Dagangan eased 58 sen to RM21.46, F&N lost 18 sen to RM24.82 and Hextar Technologies declined 16 sen to RM18.66.

Meanwhile, the ringgit was quoted at 4.6125, up 0.18% against the US dollar.

The local currency was down 0.15% against the euro at 4.9652. It fell 0.52% against the pound sterling at 5.7870 and fell 0.08% against the Singapore dollar at 3.4338.

US light crude oil and Brent eased nine cents to US$71.20 and US$75.87 per barrel respectively.

Among the key regional markets:

Japan’s Nikkei 225 closed up 1.97% to 32,265.17;

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index rose 0.47% to 19,389.95;

Shanghai Composite Index added 0.55% to 3,231.41;

Taiwan’s Taiex gained 0.91% to 16,886.40 and

South Korea’s Kospi advanced 1.16% to 2,641.16.