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%,...
Japanese stocks ended lower as renewed concerns about U.S. tariffs hit markets across Asia. Tech and brokerage stocks led the declines. SoftBank Group dropped 4.8% and Daiwa Securities Group lost 2.7%. The Nikkei Stock Average fell 1.2% to 37331.18. Investors are focusing on any developments in U.S. trade and foreign policies. USD/JPY was at 149.38, compared with 149.50 as of Monday 5 p.m. ET. The 10-year Japanese government bond yield rose 2 basis points to 1.425%. Source: Bloomberg
Shares in Hong Kong plunged 380 points or 1.7% to 222,631 on the Tuesday morning session following modest gains in the prior session. The steep decline followed a rout on Wall Street overnight after US President Trump confirmed that tariffs on key trading partners would take effect today. Meanwhile, China's state-backed Global Times said Beijing was preparing tariff countermeasures, potentially targeting US agricultural exports and increasing the prospect of tit-for-tat tariffs. Markets notched their lowest in nearly two weeks, with all sectors dragging down the benchmark Hang Seng index....
The Nikkei 225 Index fell 1.6% to below 37,200, while the broader Topix Index dropped 0.7% to 2,710 on Tuesday, erasing gains from the previous session and tracking a sharp decline in US stocks overnight. This came after US President Donald Trump confirmed that tariffs on key trading partners would take effect on Tuesday. Analysts are warning that markets may be underpricing tariff risks given how quickly a global trade war could escalate. In Japan, investors reacted to data showing an unexpected rise in the unemployment rate, which climbed to 2.5% in January from 2.4% in...
European markets closed higher on Monday, amid a charge in defense shares after regional leaders held security talks that touched on bolstered military spending. The regional Stoxx 600 index moved between losses and gains in early deals before closing 1.1% higher. The Stoxx Europe aerospace and defense index rose by 8%, marking its best session in five years.Among the biggest movers were Germany's Hensoldt, closing 22.3% higher, Italy's Leonardo, which was up 16%, and Dassault Aviation, which gained 15%. Sweden's Saab, France's Thales, and Britain's BAE Systems also crowded the top of...
The S&P 500 retreated on Monday, struggling to rebound from February's rout as a deadline on President Donald Trump's tariff policies this week ratcheted up economic concerns. The broad index fell 0.2%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 66 points, or 0.2%. The Nasdaq Composite slid 0.4%, weighed down by Nvidia's slide of more than 5%. Those moves come after the three major indexes notched losses for February, which concluded last week. The Dow and S&P 500 each slipped more than 1% in February, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite recorded its worst month since April 2024...