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.
The US exchange-traded fund (ETF) industry, valued at $10.4 trillion , witnessed an eventful 2024, marked by record inflows and fund launches alongside near-unprecedented closures. Here's an overview of the year's key trends: A Mixed Bag: Record Launches and Closures Closures: Nearly 200 ETFs shut down in 2024, approaching early-pandemic termination rates. Funds focused on ESG themes , China , and cannabis saw significant closures. Launches: Over 700 new ETFs debuted , marking a record second-consecutive year of launches. Successful launches included Bitcoin and Ether spot ETFs and leveraged single-stock ETFs targeting popular stocks. Saturated Market Challenges The US market now hosts 3,900 ETFs , making it increasingly difficult for new funds to achieve scale. Many ETFs fail to meet the asset and trading thresholds required by institutional investors and trading platforms....