KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 30): The FBM KLCI ended a volatile 2011 on a high note, as late buying into banking and key blue chips saw the index reversing its earlier losses to register a 0.78% year-to-date gain.

Regional markets, with the exception of Indonesia and the Philippines ended their year in losses, as lingering concerns over the eurozone debt crisis and heightened worries about the global economy kept investors on the sidelines.

The FBM KLCI jumped 1.6% or 24.04 points to close at 1,530.73. However, this is still ways off its all-time high of 1,597.08 on July 11 this year.

Gainers led losers by 468 to 327, while 336 counters traded unchanged. Volume was 1.33 billion shares valued at RM1.53 billion.

At the regional markets, the Shanghai Composite Index rose 1.19% to 2,199.42, Japan's Nikkei 225 increased 0.67% to 8,455.35, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index added 0.20% to 18,434.39, while Taiwan's Taiex fell 2.74% to 7,072.08 and Singapore's Straits Times Index lost 0.99% to 2,646.35.

On Bursa Malaysia, Petronas Dagangan rose 50 sen to RM17.80, BAT 32 sen to RM49.92, JT International added 24 sen to RM7.39, Nestle and Sime Darby added 20 sen each to RM56.20 and RM9.20.

Among the banking stocks, CIMB jumped 28 sen to RM7.44, Maybank 26 sen to RM8.58, Public Bank 20 sen to RM13.38, RHB Capital 18 sen to RM7.48, HLFG 10 sen to RM11.66 and Hong Leong Bank up two sen to RM10.90.

Decliners included AIC that fell 15 sen to RM1.15, DKSH and Wah Seong down nine sen each to RM1.56 and RM2.07, Paragon and Esso eight sen each to 24 sen and RM3.54, while Tan Chong lost seven sen to RM4.08.

The actives included Utopia, Mulpha, KFCH, Wijaya, Coastal, Mah Sing and Sanichi.