Bursa Malaysia Board Lot Rules: Why 100 Shares?
TL;DR — One board lot on Bursa Malaysia is 100 shares. Standard orders are placed in whole multiples of 100 shares. Quantities of 1–99 shares are odd lots, which trade on a separate, less liquid market. So for everyday trading, you work in whole lots of 100.
What a board lot is
A board lot (or “round lot”) is the standard quantity in which a stock trades on the main market. On Bursa Malaysia that quantity is 100 shares. Every regular order is a whole number of these lots — 1 lot is 100 shares, 5 lots is 500 shares, 100 lots is 10,000 shares. You can’t place a standard order for 150 shares; it’s either 1 lot (100) or 2 lots (200).
| Term | Quantity | Where it trades |
|---|---|---|
| 1 board lot | 100 shares | Normal (round-lot) market |
| Multiple lots | 200, 300, 1,000 … shares | Normal market |
| Odd lot | 1–99 shares | Separate odd-lot market |
Odd lots: the 1–99 share market
Anything below one full lot — 1 to 99 shares — is an odd lot. Odd lots usually appear from corporate actions like bonus issues, share splits or dividend reinvestment, which can leave you holding, say, 137 shares: one board lot of 100 plus an odd lot of 37.
Odd lots trade on a separate market that is thinner than the main board. Orders can take longer to match, and the traded price may differ from the round-lot price. That’s why position sizing is done in whole lots — odd lots are something you manage, not something you build a position with.
Why 100 shares?
Bursa Malaysia standardised the board lot at 100 shares in the early 2000s, reducing it from the older 1,000- and 200-share lots. A smaller lot lowers the minimum ringgit cost of taking a position, which makes higher-priced quality stocks reachable for retail investors, improves liquidity, and cuts down on leftover odd-lot holdings.
The practical consequence: the minimum cost to enter any stock is 100 × the share price (plus fees). A RM3.00 stock needs at least RM300 of shares per lot; a RM0.20 stock needs RM20.
How BursaEdge handles this
Because everything trades in 100-share lots, the BursaEdge calculator is built around that fact across all three tabs — Trade Calc, Position Size, and Average Calculator. Each tab carries a Units/Lots toggle: 1 lot = 100 shares, and switching between Units and Lots changes the display only — all the underlying maths stays identical either way.
- Trade Calc converts your available capital and a share price into the maximum number of whole lots you can actually afford after all transaction fees — never a fractional quantity you couldn’t place.
- Position Size sizes your position in whole lots based on your risk percentage and stop-loss level.
- Average Calculator tracks multiple purchase legs in lots and gives you the new blended average price and break-even.
It’s an educational tool for getting your sizing right; the decision to trade is always yours.
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Frequently asked questions
What is a board lot on Bursa Malaysia?
A board lot is the standard trading unit — 100 shares. Regular buy and sell orders are placed in whole multiples of 100 shares (1 lot, 5 lots, 100 lots, and so on).
How many shares are in one lot?
100 shares. This has been the standardised board lot on Bursa Malaysia since the early 2000s, when lot sizes were reduced from 1,000 and 200 down to a single standard of 100.
What is an odd lot on Bursa Malaysia?
An odd lot is any quantity from 1 to 99 shares — less than one full board lot. Odd lots trade on a separate market that is thinner and can take longer to match, so prices there may differ from the board lot market.
Can I buy 50 shares of a stock on Bursa Malaysia?
Not on the normal board lot market, which trades in 100-share units. 50 shares would be an odd lot, traded on the separate odd-lot market where liquidity is lower. For most trading, you work in whole lots of 100.
Why did Bursa Malaysia standardise the board lot at 100 shares?
To make higher-priced, quality stocks affordable to retail investors, improve liquidity, and reduce leftover odd-lot holdings — a smaller lot lowers the minimum cost to take a position.
Educational information only. Not investment advice and not a recommendation to buy or sell any security.