The new year got off to a mixed start on Monday in holiday-thinned Asian trade, following a healthy run-up at the end of last week, with some cheer provided by data suggesting regional economies improved last month. However, investors remain shackled by concerns about a range of issues including the fast-spreading Omicron variant, inflation, the removal of central bank stimulus and geopolitical tensions. While the last few months of 2021 were marked by uncertainty on trading floors, global stocks enjoyed blockbuster rallies in 2021 as economies reopened and lives in most countries returned to some semblance of ... (full story)