Share prices on Bursa Malaysia closed higher yesterday in line with firmer regional markets on expectation of an end to the eurozone debt crisis this week, dealers said.

They said gains in blue chips like Genting, Axiata, Maxis and Tenaga Nasional lifted the market significantly.

The FTSE Bursa Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (FBM KLCI) rose 11.19 points to end at 1,450.02 after opening 11 points better at 1,449.83. The benchmark index hovered between 1,449.10 and 1,462.06.

Genting added 27 sen to RM10.02, Axiata tacked on 2 sen to RM4.85, Maxis rose 9 sen to RM5.34 and Tenaga Nasional gained 13 sen to RM5.59.

Hong Leong Investment Bank said the rise in the local and other bourses in Asia was driven by New York’s strong gains last Friday coupled with optimism of a solution to the eurozone debt crisis and a possible roll-out of the third quantitative easing.

The Finance Index rose 19.37 points to 13,100.49, Plantation Index added 34.77 points to 7,354.70 and the Industrial Index gained 26.41 points to 2,663.72.

The FBM Emas Index advanced 77.74 points to 9,884.69, FBM70 Index was up 67.72 points to 10,608.43, FBMT100 jumped 72.13 points to 9,700.29 and the FBM ACE went up 56.41 points to 4,016.90.

Gainers led losers by 556 to 203 while 254 counters were flat, 448 untraded and 23 others suspended.

Turnover declined to 1.238 billion shares worth RM1.3 billion from 1.253 billion shares worth RM1.095 billion last Friday.

Volume on the Main Market rose to 936.677 million shares worth RM1.28 billion from 898.998 million shares worth RM1.058 billion on last Friday.

Among actives, The Media Shoppe earned 1/2 sen to 10.5 sen, Time dotCom gained 1 sen to 58 sen, Malton added 2.5 sen to 59.5 and AirAsia rose 4 sen to RM3.86.

Of the heavyweights, Maybank and CIMB were unchanged at RM8.25 and RM7.19, Sime Darby rose 9 sen to RM8.64 and Petronas Chemicals added 15 sen to RM6.16.

Meanwhile, FBM KLCI futures on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives closed higher in line with the firmer cash market, dealers said.

October 2011 rose 16 points to 1,451.5, November 2011 added 15.5 points to 1,444.5, December 2011 was up 16.5 points to 1,441.0 and March 2012 gained 12.5 points to 1,439.5.

Turnover stood at 11,137 lots while open interest was at 23,200 contracts. -Bernama