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%,...
Stocks fell on Monday, driven by losses in the technology sector, after the S&P 500 hit a record high last week. The S&P 500 fell 0.3%, while the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.4%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 152 points, or 0.3%. The artificial intelligence sector was slightly pressured in the trading session. Nvidia shares fell more than 1%, giving back some of their more than 5% gain in the previous week. Palantir Technologies and Meta Platforms also suffered losses, as did Oracle. "Given the light economic calendar this week, internal momentum could be the main story in the...
European stocks closed slightly higher on Monday, supported by gains for auto producers and tech companies as markets continued to gauge the European geopolitical landscape for hints on whether the strong momentum for equities can be extended to next year. The STOXX 50 rose 0.2% to 5,5757 and the pan-European STOXX 600 inched higher to 589. Tech companies led the gains despite broad weakness for their counterparts traded in Wall Street, with ASML and Nokia advancing 1% each. German auto manufacturers were also higher, with BMW and Mercedes Benz adding 1%. On the other hand, defense stocks...
The Hang Seng fell 184 points, or 0.7%, to close at 25,635 on Monday, reversing modest gains from the previous session, as markets entered the final trading week of 2025. Early strength was erased after sentiment turned sour amid renewed geopolitical tensions, following China's large-scale military drills around Taiwan. Sentiment was further weighed by China data, where profits at industrial firms fell the highest over a year in November, due to persistently weak domestic demand. All sectors retreated, with property and consumers among the biggest laggards, even as Beijing renewed its...
The Nikkei 225 lost 315 points, or 0.6%, to close at 50,376 on Monday, reversing the prior session's gains as trading thinned ahead of year-end holidays. Sentiment turned cautious after China staged large-scale military drills around Taiwan under its "Justice Mission 2025" exercise. Investors also pared risk ahead of Tuesday's release of minutes from the U.S. Fed's latest meeting. Earlier this month, the Fed cut rates but signaled a more cautious easing path, projecting only one more cut next year. Major laggards included Advantest Corp. (-2.3%), Daikin Industries (-2.0%), Japan Tobacco...
Hong Kong stocks rose 213 points, or 0.8%, to 26,025 on Monday morning, extending their gains for a second session as market participants opened the final week of 2025. The Hang Seng Index also hovered near a three-week high, with gains across many sectors. Sentiment was also boosted by the Shanghai market, where the benchmark index recorded a ninth straight day of gains on Monday—its longest streak since April. On the policy front, Beijing signaled on Sunday that it would be more proactive fiscally next year, focusing on domestic demand, technological innovation, and social...