The Malaysia stock market has climbed higher in five straight sessions, advancing more than 15 points or 1 percent along the way. The Kuala Lumpur Composite Index now rests just above the 1,775-point plateau and it may add to its winnings on Tuesday.
The global forecast for the Asian markets is cautiously optimistic, with upward momentum from last week's U.S. jobs report likely capped by a decline in crude oil prices. The European markets were mixed and flat, while the U.S. bourses were slightly higher - and the Asian markets figure to split the difference.
The KLCI finished slightly higher on Monday following mixed performances from the financials, telecoms and plantations.
For the day, the index gained 3.38 points or 0.19 percent to finish at 1,777.91 after trading between 1,771.90 and 1,778.48. Volume was 1.95 billion shares worth 1.68 billion ringgit. There were 515 decliners and 363 gainers, with 356 stocks finishing unchanged.
Among the actives, MISC climbed 1.35 percent, while IHH Healthcare skidded 1.17 percent, CIMB Group advanced 0.91 percent, Axiata Group gained 0.84 percent, IOI Corporation jumped 1.12 percent, Astro Malaysia Holdings dropped 0.75 percent, Maybank collected 0.52 percent, Public Bank shed 0.48 percent, Petronas Chemicals picked up 0.29 percent, Digi.com fell 0.21 percent, Tenaga Nasional gathered 0.14 percent and Sime Darby dipped 0.11 percent.
The lead from Wall Street is cautiously optimistic as stocks moved slightly higher on Monday, allowing the Dow to hit a fresh record high close for the ninth straight session.
The NASDAQ climbed 32.21 points or 0.5 percent to 6,383.77, while the Dow added 25.61 points or 0.1 percent to 22,118.42 and the S&P 500 rose 4.08 points or 0.2 percent to 2,480.91.
The modest strength reflected ongoing positive sentiment following last Friday's upbeat monthly jobs report - although the stronger than expected job growth also raised concerns about the outlook for interest rates.
Oil service stocks were substantially lower on Monday, dragging the Philadelphia Oil Service Index down 2.6 percent as crude for September delivery fell $0.19 to $49.39 a barrel.
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