Plenty to keep investors occupied as focus fixed on earnings, mid-terms

US stocks rose sharply last week, but hopes that the rally marked the end of autumn volatility were dashed by last Friday's sell-off.

This week, more swings are almost guaranteed as markets digest a new policy statement from the Federal Reserve and the results of the mid-term elections.

The jumps and plunges of US and global stock markets are reflex reactions to developments (or the lack thereof) in the US-China trade war.