The FBM KLCI swung higher in morning trade, retracing nearly all the losses from the previous session as the market tracked the Dow Jones' record close.
Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average topped 30,000 points for the first time as a third pharmaceutical company announced the successful trials of its Covid-19 vaccine.
Oil prices touched their highest level since March on Tuesday, after a raft of positive vaccine news sparked a comeback in one of the sectors hardest hit by the pandemic.
Brent crude, the international benchmark, gained 3.8 percent to $47.80 a barrel, having earlier poked above $48, as traders bet that travel and other energy-intensive industries would pick up in 2021 if coronavirus can be brought under control. That put the marker up more than a quarter so far in November, on course for one of its largest monthly percentage gains in recent decades.
Financial heavyweights jumped on improved prospects for the economic recovery, led by Public Bank rising 46 sen to RM18.84. Maybank climbed eight sen to RM8.21, Hong Leong Bank added 26 sen to RM17.10 and CIMB put on 14 sen to RM3.78.
Analysts at PVM oil brokerage in London said that traders were increasingly treating the prospect of vaccines as a “game-changer” for the energy sector, though prices still remain well below the near $70 a barrel they traded at before the pandemic.
Amid the renewed volatility, the financial services sector appears to be more defensive as investors continue to bargain hunt," said Malacca Securities Research in its morning outlook. The research house has pegged support levels at 1,570 and 1,540 and resistance levels at 1,600 and 1,610.
Meanwhile, oil and gas counters were among the top traded counters amid the increase in crude oil prices.
Brent crude extended its gains by 56 cents or over 1% to US$48.42 after jumping almost 4% in the previous session.
WTI crude was 49 cents higher at US$45.43 a barrel after adding more than 4% previously.
The fight against the coronavirus is intensifying and is proving to be increasingly successful by the week, said Tamas Varga at PVM. A rally was driven by FOMO — or fear of missing out — has now become a fundamentally justifiable price rise.
In Asian markets, equities were rallying on the latest vaccine news although China's key index was 0.2% lower. Japan's Nikkei rose 1% while Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.85%.
Oil prices have also been buoyed by expectations that Opec and allies including Russia will extend the duration of their production cuts when they meet next week, to offset weak demand over the winter months.
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