World stocks settle after US election-inspired rally
SINGAPORE — World stock markets stabilized Thursday after rallying on the result of the U.S. midterm elections, which quelled fears of a drastic shift in policies.
KEEPING SCORE: In Europe, Germany’s DAX fell back 0.2 per cent to 11,558 and the CAC 40 in France slipped 0.1 per cent to 5,135. Britain’s FTSE 100 gained 0.4 per cent to 7,141. Wall Street was set to open lower after rebounding in the previous session. Futures for the S&P 500 index fell 0.4 per cent and Dow futures lost 0.2 per cent.
ASIA’S DAY: Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 rallied 1.8 per cent to 22,486.92, even as machinery orders slid a record 18.3 per cent in September from the previous month because of natural disasters. South Korea’s Kospi rose 0.7 per cent to 2,092.63. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng added 0.3 per cent to 26,227.72, while the Shanghai Composite fell 0.2 per cent to 2,635.63. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.5 per cent to 5,928.20. Shares were higher in Taiwan and throughout Southeast Asia.
U.S. MIDTERMS: In line with most polls, the Democrats took control of the House of Representatives while the Republicans held on to a majority in the Senate. A larger Democratic presence could act as a check on President Donald Trump, but it is unlikely to change his position on big agenda items. This sat well with investors, as politics is that much less likely to crowd out the performance of the strong U.S. economy. A Federal Reserve meeting ending Thursday is not expected to result in an interest rate hike.