KLSE Malaysia Opening Market Update

MALAYSIA share prices opened higher on Monday with the FTSE Bursa Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Composite Index up 5.50 points to 1758.43.

Volume was 21.97 million lots worth RM9.90 million.

Gainers outnumbered losers 78 to 45.

S&P Market News Update

U.S. stocks on Friday closed roughly where they started the session.

With the S&P 500 SPX, -0.03% inching lower by 0.73 point to 2,058.17, according to early FactSet data. The benchmark index rose as much as 0.7% out of the gate, as 2015's first day of trading started on an upbeat note. 

Dollar index soars to nearly 9-year high

The U.S. dollar soared Friday, building on big gains scored in 2014, on expectations the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates while the European Central Bank and Bank of Japan continue to loosen monetary policy in the year ahead.

The ICE dollar index DXY, +0.97%  rose to 91.11, up from 90.27 in late North American trade on Wednesday and marking its highest level since March 2006, according to FactSet data. The index rose almost 13% in 2014, to mark its best yearly gain since 2005.

The WSJ Dollar Index BUXX, +0.77% a wider gauge of the dollar, climbed 0.6% to 83.64, its highest level in more than 11 years. Against the Japanese yen, the greenback rose to ¥120.350 from ¥119.79 late Wednesday.

The pound GBPUSD, +0.00% changed hands at $1.5334, down from $1.5578. The Australian dollar AUDUSD, +0.00%  fell to 80.84 U.S. cents, compared with 81.81 cents on Wednesday.

Gasoline Market Update

Nymex reformulated gasoline blendstock for February RBG5, -3.43% the benchmark gasoline contract, fell by more than 3 cents to $1.4392.

February natural gas futures NGG15, +2.39%  rose 10 cents, or 3.5%, to to $2.989 per million British thermal units.

Palladium Market Update

Palladium for March delivery PAH5, -0.44% lost 80 cnets to $797.60. High-grade copper for March delivery HGH5, -0.41%  was off 0.1% at $2.828 a pound.