1 Mobile payment firm Square is set to price the shares for its initial public offering, which will be closely watched for a sign of how other highly valued tech firms might fare.

Square is run by Twitter boss Jack Dorsey.

2 China Shanshui Cement's top investor, the Tianrui Group, will provide funds to the cash-strapped firm to redeem a US$500 million (S$713 million) global bond, raising investor hopes that it may avoid default, Reuters said.

3 Home prices in China rose for the first time in over a year last month on an annual basis, signalling a market stabilisation that could help re-energise the listless economy, Reuters said.

4 Viva Industrial Trust Management placed out shares to raise gross proceeds of about $110 million to partially fund the acquisition of three industrial properties - at Tai Seng Avenue, Ubi Road and Pioneer Road.

5 Twelve Straits Times Index stocks saw bigger daily trading ranges in October compared with the July to Sept quarter. The largest increases were Golden Agri-Resources, Jardine Cycle & Carriage and Wilmar International.