The Kuala Lumpur exchange today was engulfed by negative sentiment and profit taking, with its benchmark index KLCI trimming 9.30 points, or 0.57%, to settle at 1,632.23 points.

The 9.30-point reduction is the largest intraday loss after four trading days this week, and KLCI today settled at the day's low, also the lowest settlement this week so far.

Throughout the day, the benchmark index traded between the low of 1,632.23 points and the high of 1,643.08 points.

Around midday session, KLCI fell below the 1640 psychological threshold due to profit taking on YTL-series stocks, sending YTL Power International Bhd down 16 sen and YTL Corporation Bhd down 8 sen.

At closing at 5pm, YTL Power International lost a massive 22 sen, or 6.40%, to end the day at RM6.40, while YTL Corporation lost 9 sen in total, or 4.05%, to settle at RM2.13.

Coming to sector indices, only the Healthcare Index, Plantation Index and Telecommunications & Media Index held on, rising by slight margins of 0.20%, 0.06% and and 0.03%, respectively, to settle at 2,084.84, 7,292.57 points and 558.70 points.

The Property Index was the top decliner among all sector indices, shedding 1.12% to close at 1,090.64, followed by the Technology Index, trimming 0.83% to settle at 59.53, and the Utilities Index, decreasing by 0.81% to end the day at 1680.23 points.

All other sector indices maintained by the exchange ended in the red zone, losing 0.03%-0.78% after today's trading sessions.