KUALA LUMPUR: The FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) ended higher today, lifted by selected heavyweights led by SapuraKencana and Petronas Dagangan, amid year-end window dressing.

The benchmark index rose 7.22 points to settle at 1,670.73, after moving between 1,658.8 and 1,674.98 throughout the day.

SapuraKencana jumped 18 sen to RM1.99 while Petronas Dagangan soared RM1 to settle at RM25. Both stocks accounted for 3.52 points to the key index.

Other heavyweights, Maybank rose nine sen to RM8.39, Axiata added two sen to RM6.32, TNB and Public Bank were flat at RM13.20 and RM18.38 respectively while Petronas Chemicals declined four sen to RM7.15.

Among actives, Kim Teck Cheong Consolidated advanced seven sen to 38 sen, Comintel gained nine sen to 83.5 sen, Instacom and RGB International edged up half-a-sen each to 27.5 sen and 19 sen respectively.

Market breadth was positive as advancers led decliners by 493 to 418, while 320 counters were unchanged, 539 untraded and 42 others suspended.

Total volume rose to 1.91 billion shares worth RM1.72 billion against 1.63 billion shares worth RM1.63 billion last Wednesday.

The local bourse was closed on Thursday and Friday for the Maulidur Rasul and Christmas holidays.

Trading in Asian bourses were mostly lower on lack of catalysts.

Japan's Nikkei 225 gained 0.56 per cent to 18,873.35 while Hong Kong's Hang Seng declined 0.99 per cent to 21,919.62, Singapore's Straits Times eased 0.16 per cent to 2,873.01 and China's Shanghai Composite Index shed 2.59 per cent to 3,533.79. --Bernama