Tesla Inc TSLA.O shares were near flat after Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter, reported the carmaker has delayed plans to expand its Shanghai factory. By Caroline Valetkevitch NEW YORK, Jan 12 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks closed slightly higher on Thursday as data showing a fall in consumer prices in December bolstered expectations of less aggressive interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve. "The (CPI) report confirms that inflation is in a downward trend and that it has reversed," said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Spartan Capital Securities in New York.