KUALA LUMPUR: Share prices opened lower in early trading Monday, extending last week's losses dragged by cautious sentiments, dealers said.

As at 9.19 am, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) lost 6.72 points to 1,620.92, after opening two points lower at 1,625.64.

From a technical perspective, HwangDBS Vickers Research said the benchmark index is expected to pull back towards the 1,600 psychological mark soon.

A dealer said investors' "wait-and-see" attitude, profit-taking and traders' caution ahead of the 13th general election would dampen the market this week.

"Hence, we expect the local sentiments to be cautiously volatile, with alternating up and down FBM KLCI swings, ahead of the impending dissolution of parliament, which should be weeks away to pave the way for the general election," he told Bernama.

On the score board, the Plantation Index declined 33.55 points to 7,801.95, the Industrial Index slipped 11.17 points to 2,793.64 and the FBM Emas Index fell 48.87 points to 11,107.87.

The FBMT100 was 44.75 points lower at 10,951.95 and the FBM Mid 70 Index lost 48 points to 12,434.38. The Finance Index, however, rose 9.33 points to 15,192.14 and the FBM Ace Index gained 4.48 points to 3,966.06.

Losers beat gainers 147 to 89, with 115 counters unchanged, 1,291 untraded and 20 suspended.

Turnover stood at 87.5 million shares worth RM93.14 million.

Actives, Luster Industries and Metronic Global gained half sen each to 11 sen and 10.5 sen, respectively, and Tebrau Teguh added four sen to RM1.16.

Heavyweights, Maybank rose five sen to RM9.05, Sime Darby gained four sen to RM9.04, while Axiata Group and CIMB Group were one sen higher at RM6.31 and RM7.04, respectively. -- BERNAMA