KUALA LUMPUR: The benchmark FBM KLCI rose in morning trade on the back of buying in bank counters, even as the regional sentiment improved following Beijing’s additional efforts to support its economic sectors.

At 12.30pm the key index was up 7.9 points to 1,459.84. There were 450 decliners on the market compared to 411 gainers.

Trading volume was 2.71 billion shares valued at RM1.63bil.

Among the leading heavyweights, Maybank rose three sen to RM9.14, Public Bank gained three sen to M4.26, CIMB climbed 12 sen to RM5.75, Hong Leong Bank added six sen to RM20.02 and RHB gained five sen to RM5.66.

PETRONAS Gas jumped 14 sen to RM17.26 and Tenaga Nasional rose six sen to RM9.90.

Among the top active counters, Ekovest was up four sen to 58 sen, MRCB gained five sne to 50 sen and Sapura Energy added one sen to six sen.

In regional markets, China’s main market gained 0.2% to 3,127 while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was closed for a market holiday.

Japan’s Nikkei added 0.5% to 32,794 and South Korea’s Kospi gained 0.2% to 2,561.