KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia maintained its upward momentum throughout the trading session today to close off its day's high, buoyed by persistent buying in selected heavyweights led by financial services counters, amid the mostly upbeat performance in regional bourses.

CIMB and Public Bank added 16 sen and 7.0 sen to RM8.38 and RM4.45, respectively, with a combined contribution of 5.21 points to the benchmark index gains.

At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 7.67 points or 0.48 per cent to close at 1,597.45 from Friday's close of 1,589.78.

The benchmark index, which opened 4.09 points higher at 1,593.87, moved between 1,588.46 and 1,609.29 during the trading session.

However, the broader market was negative, with decliners beating gainers 540 to 501, while 479 counters remained unchanged, 944 untraded, and 28 suspended.

Turnover rose to 3.01 billion units valued at RM5.40 billion versus 2.59 billion units valued at RM2.28 billion on Friday.

UOB Kay Hian Wealth Advisors head of investment research Mohd Sedek Jantan said the FBM KLCI closed higher today, briefly breaking above the psychological level of 1,600 during the trading session as renewed short-term interest in equities emerged following recent price corrections.

"However, last-minute selling pressure pushed the index back below 1,600, though it still managed to end the day in positive territory. 

"Gains were led by utilities and financial stocks, which rebounded after last week's sharp profit-taking had brought valuations to more attractive levels. This positive trend was mirrored across Bursa Malaysia's sectoral indices, with the Utilities Index and Financial Services Index emerging as the top gainers," he told Bernama.  

Mohd Sedek said that investors remained cautious as they monitor the final leg of corporate earnings, scheduled for release through the end of the month.

"Geopolitical risks, particularly the escalating Ukraine-Russia conflict and the potential impact of President-elect Donald Trump's tariff policies, also weigh on sentiment. These factors may lead to a defensive strategy among investors, with a potential shift toward safer assets in the near term," he said.

Among other heavyweights, Maybank rose 10 sen to RM10.30, Tenaga Nasional improved 4.0 sen to RM14.04, Hong Leong Bank added 40 sen to RM20.88, while IHH Healthcare slipped 19 sen to RM7 and CelcomDigi fell 1.0 sen to RM3.55.

As for the active stocks, Sunway climbed 3.0 sen to RM5.02, YTL Corp gained 8.0 sen to RM1.85, Maxis went up 5.0 sen to RM3.58, while CN Asia eased half-a

 -sen to 7.0 sen.