Bursa Malaysia ended the morning trading session mixed as buying interest was mostly concentrated in banking heavyweights.
At 3.15pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 5.43 points (0.34%) to 1,597.00 from Friday's close of 1,591.41.
The benchmark index opened 2.69 points higher at 1,594.10 and hovered between 1,592.57 and 1,601.90 throughout the session.
The broader market was negative with losers outnumbering gainers by 513 to 338, 484 unchanged, 1,098 untraded and 19 suspended.
Total trading volume stood at 1.49 billion units worth RM1 billion.
Maybank Investment Bank Bhd said the FBM KLCI started the week on a positive note, although it remained below the 1,600 level.
It said the broader market was in favour of a decline, with most sector indices turning red by the lunch break.
The financial sector opened higher compared to last Friday, led by gains in Public Bank Bhd and Maybank, while the technology sector also saw some upward movement.
Conversely, risk-averse sectors, such as utilities, healthcare, telecommunications and media companies, and REITs, remained in negative territory.
