On 13 November 2018, local investors awoke to the news that the US stock market had plunged overnight. The short-lived rally post the US midterm elections saw all gains being wiped off. For the US Congress, the Republicans managed to retain the Senate but did not stave off the Democrats from regaining control of the House of Representatives for the first time in eight years. The result was similar to those reflected by pre-election surveys. Despite the mixed results, Trump said that it was a big day for the Republican Party as they managed to retain the upper chamber of Congress. For the Democrats though, taking over the House was also a cause for celebration. The US stock market initially rose on the midterms result but the Singapore and Hong Kong stock markets did not follow the lead fro

The Wall Street registered losses as Apple-led technology stocks and crude oil prices extended their sharp decline. Over the last two weeks, Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled 0.4 percent to end the fortnight at 25,289.27. Meantime, investors are looking forward to more positive news that could be revealed from the G20 Summit where world leaders meet at the end of this month in Argentina. Following the conclusion of the China International Import Expo which had received overwhelming responses from around the world, Alibaba set a new record for Singles Day sales raking in more than Rmb213.5 billion of gross merchandise value. Strong figures such as these provided investors with some relief amidst worries of the escalating trade tensions. Last two weeks, Shanghai Composite Index inched up