VENTURE CAPITAL POST

Global stocks hike starting Monday. Investors are anticipating the G20 meeting which to be held in Shanghai on Friday.

U.S. chief executive officers are modestly more upbeat about the economy and almost half plan to increase capital spending over the next six months, a quarterly business group survey said on Tuesday.

Most U.S. retailers reported strong sales in October, a sign American consumers were spending with more gusto and could help keep the economy growing at a brisk pace.

U.S. single-family home prices rose in July on a year-over-year basis but fell short of expectations, a closely watched survey said on Tuesday.

World markets were in hesitant mood on Tuesday as investors wondered what China's response would be to civil unrest in Hong Kong, while the U.S. dollar eased off the throttle after its biggest quarterly gain in six years.

Global equity markets fell on Monday as civil unrest in Hong Kong weighed on investor sentiment, while U.S. Treasury debt prices rose over uncertainty sparked by the protests.

Japan's legions of retail foreign-exchange traders, popularly known as Mrs Watanabe, are turning into sellers of yen.

Euro zone business activity has expanded at a slightly weaker pace than expected in September as firms cut prices for the 30th month in a row, a survey showed on Tuesday.

Drugs and chemicals maker Merck KGaA (MRCG.DE) said it agreed to acquire Sigma-Aldrich (SIAL.O) for $17 billion in cash to boost its Merck Millipore lab supplies business in the biggest takeover in the German group's history, lifting its shares.

The British pound rose sharply after the Scottish independence vote indicated Scotland would remain in the United Kingdom, while Wall Street's overnight gains and Alibaba Group's red-hot initial public offering underpinned Asian shares.

U.S. producer prices were flat in August, pointing to muted inflation pressures that should see the Federal Reserve in no hurry to raise interest rates.

Asian shares tumbled on Wednesday as markets wagered the Federal Reserve would raise interest rates earlier than expected, sending U.S. bond yields higher and keeping the dollar well bid near 14-month highs against a basket of major currencies.

Index, a startup that provides software to enhance customer experience in physical stores, received USD7 million in Series A investment from investors including Innovation Endeavors, of which Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt is a co-founder.

Qatar and UAE granted emerging market status while Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman retain frontier markets.

As the budget deadlock continues, the stock market's fear index is rising and many investors are preparing for future stock volatility.