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 Hang Seng Index fell 99 points, or 0.4%, to close at 25,831 on Wednesday (November 19), extending its decline for a fourth session and holding at its lowest level in two weeks. Sentiment remained weak after Wall Street's prolonged decline on Tuesday ahead of the release of Nvidia's earnings report, the latest FOMC meeting minutes, and key US employment data. Concerns also grew that President Trump's lower approval rating could spur more fiscal spending and increase inflation risks. Diplomatic tensions between China and Japan persisted, further weighing on risk appetite. Locally, markets...
The Nikkei 225 closed down 0.34% to 48,538 on Wednesday, while the broader Topix index fell 0.17% to 3,246. This marked the fourth consecutive day of declines for Japanese stocks. The main pressure came from the technology sector, which is still being punished by the market due to concerns about overvaluation. Investors also chose to be cautious ahead of Nvidia's highly anticipated earnings release, given that many Japanese technology companies are connected to the global AI supply chain. Several major technology stocks weighed on the index, including Advantest (-0.6%), Lasertec (-2.2%),...
The Hong Kong stock exchange opened Wednesday with limited gains. The Hang Seng Index edged up around 24 points to 25,954, indicating the market hasn't fully lifted its cautious stance. Early in the session, technology and financial stocks were the main focus due to their inconsistent movements. In the technology sector, the Hang Seng Technology Index rose around 0.37% to 5,666, while the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index also gained around 0.19% to 9,192. Several major names, such as Tencent and Alibaba, moved positively, rising around 0.6% and 0.7%, respectively. Meituan and JD.com only...
The Nikkei index closed down 0.9% to 48,281.47 in today's trading, erasing all of its early-session gains. Risk-off sentiment reigned, resulting in bargain hunting not being strong enough to withstand selling pressure. Global stock markets have been under considerable pressure in recent days. FOREX.com Global Macro Analyst, Fawad Razaqzada, said global markets are under intense pressure. One of the triggers for negative sentiment in the technology sector is concerns ahead of Nvidia's financial report release on Wednesday local time. Investors are opting for caution and tending to reduce...
Asian equities swung between small gains and losses as investors weighed the fallout from the selloff in global stocks, with traders watching whether regional markets can stabilize after Wall Street's sharp losses. MSCI's stocks gauge for Asia Pacific fell around 0.1% after the index had its biggest drop since early April. Contracts for US stocks edged lower in early Asian trade after the S&P 500 index fell for a fourth day. A basket of the Magnificent Seven companies declined 1.8%. Nvidia Corp., at the center of the AI frenzy, slumped 2.8%...