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.
Key Takeaways: Significant Pay Raises: US debt capital market professionals are projected to see a 23%-35% increase in total compensation for 2024 compared to 2023, driven primarily by higher bonuses. Managing directors in debt markets may earn $825,000 to $1.5 million , while top-tier bond traders could earn $1.7 million to $3 million . Debt Issuance Surge: US investment-grade bond issuance rose 25% to $1.47 trillion in 2024, while high-yield issuance jumped 54% to $269.2 billion. European debt markets approached record levels seen during the pandemic, and Asia-Pacific issuance also climbed. Economic Drivers: Strong economic conditions and expectations of pro-business policies under President-elect Donald Trump have fueled corporate borrowing. Companies are capitalizing on favorable interest rate environments to secure funding. Industry Trends: Other high-performing sectors include leveraged finance (17.6% pay increase) , energy markets, and equity derivatives. Overall fina...