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 Japanese yen held steady around 153.5 per dollar on Tuesday after falling in the previous session, weighed down by a stronger dollar amid expectations that strong U.S. economic growth and aggressive trade policies under Trump will push inflation higher. At home, minutes from the Bank of Japan's October policy meeting revealed a split among policymakers over the timing of future interest rate hikes. Several members expressed concerns about global economic uncertainty and rising market volatility, particularly the ongoing yen depreciation. However, the central bank maintained its forecast...
The Nikkei 225 Index rose 0.5% to above 39,700 while the broader Topix Index gained 0.9% to 2,765 on Tuesday, extending gains from the previous session and taking cues from a strong lead on Wall Street as the post-election rally sent major US indexes to all-time highs. The rally was fueled by optimism around Trump's victory and the possibility of a Republican sweep in Congress, which raised expectations for deregulation and tax cuts. In Japan, investors were focused on the Bank of Japan's monetary policy outlook after the latest summary of opinions revealed a division among policymakers...
Asia-Pacific markets were mixed on Tuesday, with investors cautious even as the Dow Jones Industrial Average's post-election rally continued to gain momentum to close at a record high. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.33%. Japan's Nikkei 225 gained 0.23% while the Topix gained 0.68%. South Korea's Kospi fell 1.25%, while the Kosdaq Composite dropped 2.04% Hong Kong's Hang Seng futures were at 20,324, lower than the HSI's last close of 20,426.93. Traders in Asia-Pacific will be watching a slew of economic data from the region, including the National Australia Bank's survey on business...
Blue chip stocks lead advancers to start the week with the Dow Industrials climbing above 44000. Consumer discretionary and financial sectors rally on expectations of policies from a new Trump administration. Bond markets were closed for Veterans Day. Tesla gains 9.1%, Trump Media & Technology Group adds 4.7% and bitcoin surges above $84,000. Cigna rises 7.3% after saying it wasn't seeking to buy Humana, while AbbVie slides 13% after its experimental schizophrenia drug failed in trials. DJIA gains 304 points, or 0.7%, to 44293, the S&P 500 gains 0.1% to 6001, while the Nasdaq rises...
European stocks had a strong start to the week, with the Stoxx 50 and Stoxx 600 both rising over 1% as investors considered the potential market impact of Donald Trump's presidency. The construction and materials sector led gains, climbing 2%, while industrial stocks increased by 1.7%. On the corporate side, Continental's shares surged 10% after posting better-than-expected profits. Defence stocks, including Sweden's SAAB, Italy's Leonardo, and the UK's Rolls-Royce, rose between 3% and 4.4%. MTU Aero Engines gained 1% after an upgrade from Goldman Sachs. The chemicals sector was up 1.3%,...