At midday, Malaysian stock exchange's key composite index added 0.36 of a point to 1,598.54 points, still below the 1600-point threshold.

The composite index fluctuated within a range of 10.95 points, from 1,588.99 points to 1,599.94 points during the half-day session.

The benchmark index this morning dipped 5.42 points in the opening session to 1,592.76 points.

As at 9:40am, Tenaga Nasional Bhd shed 24 sen to RM14.06 on a turnover of 525,400 units/shares, recovered two sen to reach RM14.08 at midday. Consumer electronics manufacturer Formosa Prosonic Industries Bhd shed 12 sen to RM2.771 as at 9:40am. At midday, Formosa Prosonic's shares stood at RM2.77, unchanged, on a turnover of over 2.45 million2 units/shares.

At midday, Ace market technology listing Zen Tech International Bhd was the most actively traded counter which recorded a turnover of over 347 million3 units/shares, adding half of a sen to RM0.015.

Midday decliners stood out with massive losses. Semiconductor manufacturer Malaysian Pacific Industries Bhd recorded the biggest half-day loss of 60 sen to RM24.28 on a turnover of 194,400, followed by Nestle (Malaysia) Bhd which gave up 34 sen to RM97.66 on a turnover of 38,900 units/shares. BLD Plantation Bhd, meanwhile, retreated 48 sen to RM10.46 on a turnover of just 1,200 units/shares.

YTL utilities duo also declined during the half-day session. As at 12:30pm, YTL Power International Bhd and YTL Corporation Bhd both slipped 11 sen to RM3.04 and RM1.85, respectively.

1. Previously contained information "on a turnover of nearly 1.4 million units/shares" ︎

2. 2,450,100 units/shares ︎

3. 347,048,800 units/shares ︎