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 Takeaway Markets rallied on Thursday as investors embraced weak labor data as a signal that the Federal Reserve is locked in to cut rates this month. All eyes now shift to Friday’s official August jobs report, which could set the tone for U.S. markets in September. Market Recap S&P 500 closed at a record high, up 0.8% . Nasdaq Composite gained 1% . Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 350 points (+0.8%) . Best sector: Consumer Discretionary (+1.8%) . Worst sector: Utilities (-0.1%) . Jobs Data in Focus JOLTS report : For the first time since before the pandemic, job openings fell below the number of people seeking work. ADP report : Private sector added just 54,000 jobs in August , fueling concerns of labor market softness. Non-Farm Payrolls (Friday) : Economists expect 80,000 jobs added . Unemployment rate forecast: 4.3% (up from 4.2%). Why it matters: A weaker labor market increases the likelihood of Fed cuts...