08/12/2009 (Bernama), Kuala Lumpur - Shares on Bursa Malaysia closed lower on Tuesday led by plantation stocks which dipped on weak crude palm oil prices, a dealer said.

The Plantation Index fell 39.0 points to 6,275.06 as worries escalated that Malaysian palm oil stocks may hit a high of two million tonnes in November.

The Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) is expected to release production and stock data on Thursday.

This had an impact on the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (FBM KLCI) which ended 3.90 points lower at 1,261.46.

Plantation-based Sime Darby declined one sen to RM8.94, IOI Corp lost three sen to RM5.42 while KL Kepong eased 30 sen to RM15.74.

Overall, one dealer said trading on the local bourse was also quiet as retail investors and fund managers continued to be concerned over the US economy and the on-going Dubai's debt crisis.

The FBM Emas Index declined 22.44 points to 8,400.38, the FBM Top 100 Index decreased 22.14 points to 8,210.62, the FBM70 Index dipped 8.91 points to 8,073.92 and the FBM ACE Index lost 14.09 points to 4,301.67 while the Finance Index was 4.28 points lower at 10,845.40.

However, the Industrial Index rose 0.06 of a point to 2,677.95.

Decliners outpaced advancers 353 to 265 while 257 counters were unchanged and 408 others were untraded.

Volume declined to 640.53 million shares, valued at RM828.92 million, compared with yesterday's 669.324 million shares, worth RM848.304 million.

Actives, Melewar Warrant increased 3.5 sen to 15.5 sen, Talam Corp rose half-a-sen to 9.5 sen and Tanco Holdings gained 4.5 sen to 13.5 sen.

Among blue chips, Maybank shed one sen to RM6.78 and Maxis eased two sen to RM5.35 while CIMB earned four sen to RM12.86.

Turnover on the Main Market decreased to 574.170 million shares, valued at RM814.347 million, against yesterday's 585.969 million shares, worth RM828.085 million.

The ACE Market volume slipped to 44.691 million units, worth RM9.312 million, against 60.852 million units, valued at RM15.049 million, recorded previously.

Consumer products accounted for 44.786 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products 150.124 million, construction 23.045 million, trading and services 160.145 million, technology 33.589 million, infrastructure 6.468 million, finance 59.506 million, hotels 230,900, properties 80.691 million, plantations 14.675 million, mining 9,000, REITs 883,300 and closed/fund 13,000.