KUALA LUMPUR:  The FBM KLCI stayed firmly in positive territory at the mid-day break on Wednesday, Oct 6 in line with the gains at key regional markets, where  Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 1.6% and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index added 1.17%.

Tuesday's unexpectedly bold action by the Bank of Japan -- which cut interest rates close to zero and said it would pump cash into the financial system through asset purchases -- was seen as the first salvo in a reflationary splurge by policymakers in Japan, the United States and Britain, according to Reuters.

Global markets are now preoccupied with the likelihood that the Federal Reserve will make a new sortie into "quantitive easing" -- effectively printing money to buy assets -- next month, an expectation that pushed the dollar down broadly, it said.

At 12.30pm, the 30-stock FBM KLCI was up 5.67 points to 1,477.86 lifted by gains including at DiGi, Genting, Axiata and KL Kepong. Gainers led losers by 398 to 259, while 286 counters traded unchanged. Volume was 513.09 million shares valued at RM700.79 million.

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China’s stock market is closed for a national holiday.

The ringgit strengthened 0.24% to 3.0903 against the greenback; gold rose US$4.35 an ounce to US$1,345, crude oil slipped 17 cents per barrel to US$82.65 while crude palm oil for the third month delivery rose RM21 per tonne to RM2,724.

Nestle added 50 sen to RM43.50; Malaysia Smelting Corp added 28 sen to RM4.68, DiGi, Dutch Lady and Top Glove added 18 sen each to RM24.98, RM16.68 and RM5.84, respectively, while Perstima, Supermax and KL Kepong rose 16 sen each to RM5, RM4.24 and RM17.26.

Genting gained 10 sen to RM10.14, Tenaga up nine sen to RM8.93, Maybank and Axiata rose five sen each to RM8.99 and RM4.48, while Sime Darby added four sen to RM8.54.

Among the decliners, EON Capital fell 12 sen to RM7.01, Choo Bee Metal Industries and HELP fell 11 sen each to RM1.80 and RM2.69, IRM Group lost 8.5 sen to 38 sen, Hua Yang shed seven sen to RM1.08 while PLB Engineering, Jobstreet and Masterskill fell six sen each to 85 sen, RM2.21 and RM3.15, respectively.

Hubline was the most actively traded stock this morning with 22.71 million shares done. The stock gained one sen to 18 sen. Other actives included Karambunai, Oilcorp, Hua Yang, Maybank and Talam.