Share prices on Bursa Malaysia opened higher in early trading Monday on better sentiment in the global market, dealers said.

However, as at 9.26am, the FBM KLCI slipped into the red to 1,578.92, down by 0.08 points, after opening 0.83 of a point higher at 1,579.83.

The Finance Index rose 10.36 points to 14,114.36, the Plantation Index inched down 4.61 points to 8.624.93 and the Industrial Index gained 2.23 points to 2,866.33.

The FBM Emas Index advanced 4.74 points to 10,903.79, the FBM Mid 70 Index added 22.28 points to 12,220.9 and the FBM ACE Index went up 1.07 points to 4,661.94.

HwangDBS Vickers Research said the major US equity indices continued to rally between 0.1 and 0.6 per cent at the closing bell on Friday as latest government figures showed stronger-than-expected payroll growth, with reports of a technical default by Greece being brushed aside by investors.

Thus, the local bourse is expected to follow suit today and inch up slowly towards the 1,580 immediate resistance level, it said in a research note.

Gainers led losers 176 to 120, 177 counters unchanged, 1,020 counters untraded and 19 suspended.

Turnover stood at 227.625 million shares worth RM129.4 million.

Among the actives, Naim Indah Corp gained 6.5 sen to 71 sen, Hock Lok Siew Corp slipped one sen to 15 sen and Metronic Global added half-a-sen to 7.5 sen.

Among the heavyweights, Maybank earned two sen to RM8.76, Sime Darby was unchanged at RM9.85, Petronas Chemicals fell two sen to RM6.82, while CIMB added one sen to RM7.35. -- Bernama