"The announcement that Prime Minister-elect Alexis Tsipras’s main coalition partner is the centre-right Greek Independents will generate more uncertainty, leading to more market turbulence. This is largely because the move will hinder Syriza’s negotiations with the Troika and, I suspect, hinder reform," said Tom Elliott, an investment strategist at deVere Group, an independent financial advisory firm with more than US$10 billion under administration.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended little changed at 17,678.70, the S&P 500 rose 0.3% to 2,057.09 and the Nasdaq Composite put on 0.3% to 4,771.76.

In Singapore, the Straits Times Index fell 0.4% to 3,398.52 yesterday.

COMPANIES IN THE NEWS:

Falcon Energy Group has extended the deadline for its proposed acquisition of CH Offshore by two weeks to Feb 9 to give shareholders more time to think through its offer, which the takeover target's second-largest owner recently rejected.

Shares of Falcon fell 1.8% to 27.5 cents while those of CH Offshore declined 2% to 50 cents yesterday.

Sincap Group is seeking to raise $35.1 million through a share placement to fund an acquisition in Australia.

It will place out 351 million new shares at 10 cents each, slightly more than its closing price of 9.6 cents yesterday.

Dragon Group International will place out 27.8 million new shares at nine cents each to raise $2.5 million for working capital and acquisitions.

The shares, priced above Dragon Group's closing price of 7.6 cents yesterday, will be issued to Asia Green Technology, a company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands.

Gallant Venture will issue $75 million worth of notes bearing annual interest of 7% to refinance existing loans.

The notes, due in 2017 and expected to be issued next month, will be part of the US$500-million ($655-million) euro medium-term note programme established by the company in November last year.

Gallant Venture shares rose 2% to 25 cents yesterday.

Viva Industrial Trust's 4Q2014 distribution per unit came in at 1.701 cents, down from the 1.713 cents projected during its IPO in 2013.

Viva shares rose 0.6% to 80.5 cents yesterday.

OUE Commercial Trust's 4Q2014 DPU came in at 1.44 cents, up from the 1.37 cents forecast during its IPO in January last year.

OUE Commercial shares rose 0.6% to 82 cents yesterday.

Lian Beng Group's 51%-owned Goldprime Land has won a tender for a land parcel in Tampines with a bid of $64.4 million.

Lian Beng shares ended flat at 62 cents yesterday.

Smartflex Holdings will launch a pilot project in Indonesia using its patented eco.SIM card.

Smartflex shares ended flat at 19 cents yesterday.