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 fell 212 points, or 0.4%, to close at 50,255 on Wednesday, reversing early gains as sentiment turned sour amid a stronger yen that eroded overseas earnings for export-heavy firms. Autos led declines, with Toyota down 1.8%, Subaru off 1.2%, and Honda Motor slipping modestly. Financial shares also retreated, giving back part of last week's sharp rally after the Bank of Japan last week raised rates to a three-decade high. Meanwhile, minutes from the central bank's October meeting showed policymakers broadly agreed real interest rates remain low, reinforcing expectations of...
Hong Kong shares edged up 51 points, or 0.2%, to 25,824 in Wednesday morning trade, reversing mild losses from the previous session after Wall Street's S&P 500 closed at a fresh high overnight as data showed the U.S. economy grew at its fastest pace in two years. Investors weighed reports that China plans to step up urban renewal and strengthen efforts to stabilize the property market starting in 2026, at the launch of its new Five-Year Plan (2026–2030). However, gains were capped by local data showing Hong Kong's current account surplus narrowed to HKD 98.2 billion in Q3 2025 from HKD...
Asian stocks rose at the opening session today, tracking significant gains on Wall Street, which hit a record high after data showed the US economy grew at its fastest pace in two years. The MSCI Asia Index rose 0.2%, with Japan and South Korea gaining, while Australian shares edged lower in the shortened trading session. US stocks also posted gains for the fourth straight day, driven by major technology stocks, which rose nearly 1%. Investors' attention was also focused on commodity markets, with gold prices surging to a new record above $4,500 per ounce. The rise in gold prices was driven...
Japan's Nikkei index edged up 0.2% on Wednesday (December 23rd), reaching 50,519.41, following gains on Wall Street overnight. The rise was fueled by recently released US economic data, which painted a mixed picture but still showed resilience. Despite concerns about some indicators, solid employment data and a sharp rise in US corporate profits reinforced the view that the Federal Reserve is likely to keep interest rates unchanged at its upcoming January meeting. Among the best-performing stocks on Japan's main index, Screen Holdings surged 7.4%, while Sumitomo Metal Mining rose 4.2%, and...
The S&P 500 rose 0.6% to close at a new record on Tuesday (December 24th), while the Nasdaq also rose 0.6% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.3%, as technology and energy stocks led broad gains. Large-cap stocks mostly rose, led by Nvidia's 3% gain, while Apple rose 0.5%, Microsoft edged up 0.4%, Alphabet added 1.4%, Amazon rose 1.6%, MetaTrader 5 rose 0.5%, and Broadcom rose 2.3%. In contrast, the real estate and consumer staples sectors underperformed. Eli Lilly shares fell 0.5% despite the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approving Novo Nordisk's weight-loss pill....