Year-end rally still possible

REVIEW: While Bursa Malaysia was shut for a public holiday on Monday, shares in the Asia-Pacific region traded mixed to lower, as investors fretted about growing possibility of the Federal Reserve hiking interest rates during the policy meeting later in the week.

Japan’s Nikkei 225-share average rose 0.8% to 19,155.03, the highest closing level since mid-December last year but major index such as Hong Kong’s benchmark Hang Seng Index dropped 1.4% to 22,433.02 and China’s Shanghai Composite Index tumbled 2.5% to 3,152.47 despite the bulls on Wall Street continuing to set record in overnight session, as investors chased laggard stocks in the month-long rally since Donald Trump’s presidential election victory.