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.
Market Milestone: The Nasdaq Composite Index (.IXIC.US) surged past 20,000 points for the first time, closing at 20,050 , up 1.77% . This historic high was powered by strong performances from tech giants. The S&P 500 (.SPX.US) closed at 6,090.27 , just shy of its record high, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI.US) dipped 0.2% . Economic Updates: Inflation Data: November’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) met expectations, rising 0.3% monthly and 2.7% year-over-year . Core CPI (excluding food and energy) increased 0.3% monthly and 3.3% annually , reinforcing expectations for a Fed rate cut next week. Sector Highlights: Tech Giants Lead the Charge: Alphabet-A (GOOGL.US): Gained nearly 5% , leading the "Magnificent Seven." Tesla (TSLA.US): Surged 5.9% to a record $424.77 , driven by optimism about EV prospects and i...