The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said last week (Oct 26–Nov 1) China’s average live‑hog price was 10.41 yuan/kg, down 2.8% WoW. Retail pork market price averaged 20.35 yuan/kg, down 1.2% WoW. Nationwide wholesale pork averaged 15.49 yuan/kg, down 1.3% WoW and 13.8% YoY. The ministry said consumption edged up slightly WoW but remained below year‑ago levels, supply is ample, and live‑hog and pork prices are expected to fluctuate modestly this week.

A 2026 industry report from the China Hotel Association and other industry bodies says China’s online catering market is shifting to a pattern of tier‑1 quality upgrades and lower‑tier volume expansion. Growth in first‑tier cities has stabilized, moving from scale‑driven to quality‑driven; second‑tier cities show steady growth with both scale expansion and efficiency gains. Third‑ and fourth‑tier cities and county markets are driving rapid volume growth: Taobao Flash Sale orders in tier‑4/5 and below rose more than twice as fast as in tier‑1 over the past year, and county markets saw over 250,000 new small shops join the platform.

U.S. stock index futures rose on Monday as tech and AI-related shares steadied after a weak October; investors are focusing on the U.S. midterm elections and a new wave of corporate earnings. The Nasdaq-100 lost more than $2.5 trillion of market value last month and neared technical correction territory. Investors are wary of rising AI investment by large tech firms and are waiting for evidence of higher returns; several companies have issued bonds to fund those investments, heightening concern about debt-funded spending as borrowing costs rise. Seth Meyer, head of global client portfolio management at Janus Henderson Investors, said: "Midterm elections are usually bad for the incumbent party. If the Democrats win the House, the U.S. would return to a divided government, which is not uncommon."