European equity markets extended their rally on the first trading day of 2026, with benchmark indices pushing to fresh record highs despite thin liquidity following the New Year holiday. Gains were led by defense stocks, underpinned by persistent geopolitical tensions and expectations of increased military spending across the region. The STOXX 50 climbed 0.7% to a new all-time high of 5,830 points, while the broader STOXX 600 rose 0.4% to a record 595 points. The strong start to the year follows a robust performance in 2025, when the STOXX 50 advanced about 18% and the STOXX 600 rose 17%,...
The Nikkei 225 Index slumped 3.2% to close at 48,703, while the broader Topix Index plunged 2.88% on Tuesday, falling for the third consecutive session as investors sold off tech stocks following Wall Street's sharp decline overnight ahead of the US jobs report and Nvidia's quarterly results. The Nikkei posted its steepest drop in more than seven months, hitting its lowest level since October 23. Escalating Tokyo–Beijing tensions also pressured sentiment, with retail stocks trading mixed after a sharp fall in the previous session. Traders closely watched a meeting between Japanese Prime...
The Hong Kong stock exchange opened lower on Tuesday, following negative pressure in global markets as investors reassessed the valuation of the artificial intelligence (AI) sector and awaited the direction of US interest rate policy. The Hang Seng Index (HSI) fell around 1.3% at the start of the session, moving to around 26,027 points. This decline extended the correction trend in the Asian region, in line with the decline on Wall Street. The technology sector was again the biggest drag on the index, with shares of giants such as Xiaomi, Li Auto, and Meituan each falling between 2% and...
On Tuesday morning, November 18, 2025, sentiment on Asian markets remained cautious following a sharp decline on Wall Street and concerns about the Fed's interest rate direction. Most indexes in the region moved lower, with investors choosing to reduce risk ahead of the release of Nvidia's earnings report and US employment data, which was delayed due to the longest government shutdown in history. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 closed down around 0.1% at 50,323.91, while the Topix index also weakened. The greatest pressure came from tourism and retail stocks after China issued a travel warning to...
The Nikkei closed down 0.9% to 49,890.32, following Wall Street's decline on Monday. Selling pressure was felt across most of the Japanese stock market, as risk-off sentiment reemerged, or investors' tendency to avoid risky assets amid global uncertainty. StoneX senior market analyst Matt Simpson explained that market participants are returning to caution following the decline in Wall Street stocks. Investors' primary focus is now on Nvidia's earnings release due on Wednesday, as the chip giant's results have the potential to significantly impact technology stocks and the overall direction...
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) hit another weak patch on Monday, backsliding nearly 500 points and slipping back below the 47,000 handle to start the new trading week with many of the same questions from last week going unanswered. The AI segment continues to see new challenges amid concerns about endpoint revenues, and investors are hoping that a kickstart to official data sources following the reopening of the federal government will help push the Federal Reserve (Fed) to deliver a third straight interest rate cut in December. Alphabet shares supported by Berkshire...