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 jumped 1.2% to above 50,100 while the broader Topix Index added 0.7% to 3,380 on Thursday, extending gains from the previous session and taking cues from a strong lead on Wall Street amid bets on further Federal Reserve interest rate cuts. US stocks rallied for a fourth straight session overnight as markets now price in over an 80% chance that the Fed will cut rates by 25 basis points next month and three more by the end of 2026. In Japan, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government is reportedly planning to issue at least 11.5 trillion yen in additional bonds to fund...
Asian markets are projected to strengthen on Thursday, following Wall Street's rally, which has risen four consecutive days ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. Japanese and mainland Chinese index futures signaled a positive opening, while Australian stocks rose earlier in the session and Hong Kong's were flat. In the US, the S&P 500 rose 0.7% and the Nasdaq 100 gained 0.9%, supported by expectations of an imminent Fed rate cut. Financial markets are now pricing in around an 80% chance of a 25 bps rate cut next month, with three more cuts planned by the end of 2026. The Fed's Beige Book...
Stocks rallied on Wednesday (November 26), pushing the major stock averages to their fourth straight day of gains ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 388 points, or 0.8%. The S&P 500 gained 0.9%, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 1%. The overall market rally was driven by artificial intelligence company Oracle, which surged more than 4% after Deutsche Bank reiterated its bullish stance on the company. Nvidia shares rose more than 1%, recovering from recent losses, while fellow "Magnificent Seven" member Microsoft traded more than 2% higher. "This...
The European stock markets closed higher in Wednesday trading as the Stoxx Europe gained 1.06%, Germany's DAX rose 0.98%, the FTSE 100 advanced 0.85%, France's CAC was up 0.88%, and the Swiss Market Index increased 0.40%. The European Central Bank reported in its Financial Stability Review for November that uncertainties around trade agreements," as well as the economic and financial effects of tariffs, "continue to shape the euro area financial stability landscape." The ECB said exposure to tariff-sensitive firms and stronger funding ties with non-banks could strain euro area banks during...
The Hang Seng inched up 33 points or 0.1% to finish at 25,928 on Wednesday, marking a third straight session of gain amid a rise in U.S. futures as recent economic data bolstered expectations of a Fed rate cut in December. Most sectors in the city advanced, led by property and financials, even as mainland markets eased ahead of industrial profit figures due Thursday. Locally, Hong Kong's exports held near a four-year high in October, while imports saw their strongest growth in five months. On the corporate front, Alibaba reported stronger-than-expected quarterly revenue, supported by rising...