KUALA LUMPUR: The FBM KLCI remained in positive territory at midday Friday as investors pick up heavyweights such as Malayan Banking Bhd, Genting Bhd and Bumiputra Commerce Holdings Bhd.

At 12.30pm the benchmark composite index was up 3.93 points to 1,177.59.

Regional markets, however, were mixed at midday.

Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 lost 0.20% to 10,194.30 while Seoul’s Kospi Index was marginally lower, slipping 0.12% to 1,611.57.

Shanghai’s A share Index added 0.20% to 2,850.75 and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index rose 0.53% to 19,867.37.

Singapore’s Straits Times Index slipped 0.17% to 2,594.05.

At Bursa Malaysia, 240 counters were up, 232 were down while 221 were traded unchanged. There were 285.6 million shares done at a total value of RM420.12 million.

Among the top gainers Genting jumped 13 sen to RM6.94, RHB Capital rose 11 sen to RM4.88, Proton added 10 sen to RM3.19 and Bursa was up 8 sen to RM7.67.

Heavyweights Maybank rose 8 sen to RM6.48, BCHB added 4 sen to RM10.26 and Axiata increased 1 sen to RM3.10.

Plantation stocks IOI Corp added 1 sen to RM5.04, Sime Darby rose 1 sen to RM8.24 and PPB lost 2 sen to RM15.36.

Nymex crude oil in electronic trade was up 28 cents to US$68.24 per barrel.

Spot gold lost 65 cents to US$991.20 per ounce.

The ringgit was quoted at 3.5285 to the US dollar.