Trade tensions back in focus as December begins

WITH 2019 entering its final month, investors are left feeling more concerned about progress toward a US-China mini deal than when November began.

In the early half of last month, global equity markets rallied on the back of accommodative monetary policies and what were then burgeoning hopes that a "Phase One" deal would be concluded by year's end.

But with the Hong Kong pro-democracy bill being passed into law ahead of the Thanksgiving holidays, sentiment turned decidedly south, especially after China's response on Friday.