New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index closed nearly flat to around 13,137 on Tuesday after a subdued session, with most sectors posting losses. Market sentiment was dampened by a slight decline in US futures ahead of the release of the PCE index, the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of inflation, as well as concerns over a potential US government shutdown before the September 30 deadline. Domestically, attention turned to September data on consumer confidence and business sentiment, following August’s mixed signals, with consumer confidence falling to a 10-month low while business sentiment rose to a five-month high. Among individual stocks, the top laggards included Ryman Healthcare (-2.9%), PGG Wrightson (-2.6%), Seeka (-2.3%), Delegat (-2.2%), Sanford Limited (-2.1%), and Gentrack Group (-2%). Meanwhile, leading gainers were Colonial Motor (+3.6%), Ebos (+2.9%), Winton Land (+1.8%), and Meridian Energy (+1.6%).