KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 8 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia closed almost flat on Tuesday as buying interest rotated away from index heavyweights towards smaller-cap construction stocks, with sentiment affected by geopolitical uncertainty, said an analyst. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) eased 0.39 of a point to 1,714.40 from Monday’s close of 1,714.79. The benchmark index opened 1.65 points lower at 1,713.14 and moved between 1,710.44 and 1,714.50 throughout the trading session. The broader market was almost evenly balanced, with decliners leading gainers 548 to 546, while 598 counters were unchanged, 1,107 were untraded and 25 were suspended. Turnover expanded to 4.13 billion units valued at RM3.14 billion from 3.60 billion units valued at RM2.45 billion on Monday.
American Express recorded a strong start to the U.S. holiday shopping season, with retail consumer spending on its network rising 9% during the Thanksgiving-to-Cyber Monday period, CEO Stephen Squeri said on Wednesday. Holiday Spending Picks Up Despite Economic Concerns For payments companies, the final weeks of the year typically bring a surge in shopping, travel, and promotional spending . This year’s data eased worries of a softer season following the prolonged U.S. government shutdown and economic uncertainty. During the Goldman Sachs US Financial Services Conference, Squeri highlighted: 9% growth in U.S. retail spending 13% growth in U.S. Platinum cardholder retail spending Shares Rise as AmEx Outperforms Peers American Express shares closed 3.2% higher , extending year-to-date gains to 26.5% , outperforming Visa , Mastercard , and the broader market. Spending Growth Beats Market Trend Holiday spending on AmEx’s netw...