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%,...
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he plans to hold talks about the war in Ukraine in coming days after his Alaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in August failed to achieve a breakthrough. Trump has been frustrated at his inability to get a halt to the fighting, which began with Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, after he initially predicted he would be able to end the war swiftly when he took office last January. Trump said he would be holding talks in the next few days. A White House official said Trump is expected to speak on the phone on Thursday...
European shares ended higher on Wednesday, stabilising as investors assessed fiscal challenges after a selloff in longer-dated bonds had sparked risk-off sentiment in the previous session. The continent-wide STOXX 600 index closed 0.65% higher at 546.72 points, boosted by healthcare stocks such as Roche Holdings and AstraZeneca. Basic resources also extended support by rising 1.5%, influenced by a jump in copper prices on growing expectations of a U.S. interest rate cut later in the month. The day's moves follow the STOXX 600's biggest one-day loss in a month on Tuesday, driven by a...
A rally in the world's largest tech companies drove stocks higher as bonds rebounded after weak jobs data validated wagers the Federal Reserve will resume cutting rates in September. Equities extended gains and bond yields fell after data showed US job openings fell in July to the lowest in 10 months, reinforcing bets on at least two Fed reductions in 2025. Following a two-day slide, the S&P 500 also gained amid a court victory for Big Tech that saw Alphabet Inc. surging 8% as Google dodged a sale of its Chrome web...
The Hang Seng Index fell 153 points, or 0.6%, to close at 25,343 on Wednesday (September 3), weakening for a second day as global equities weakened on growing concerns over fiscal pressures worldwide. Meanwhile, Dow Jones futures were seen weakening, pressured by a sixth consecutive monthly decline in the US manufacturing sector. Adding to the uncertainty, a divided US appeals court ruled most of President Trump's tariffs illegal, though the measures will remain in place until October 14 pending a possible appeal to the Supreme Court. All sectors traded in the red after a military parade in...
European stocks traded higher on Wednesday, with the STOXX 50 up 0.7% and the STOXX 600 gaining 0.4%, rebounding after a 1.4% drop in the previous session. On Tuesday, equities retreated as concerns over debt sustainability in major economies pushed bond yields sharply higher, with the UK market under the greatest strain. Large-cap stocks mostly advanced, led by SAP (+1.6%), LVMH (+1.5%), ASML Holding (+2.1%), Hermès International (+0.5%) and Novartis (+0.5%). In contrast, Swiss Life fell about 2% after reporting a weaker first-half net profit, while M&G slipped 2.5% after posting a...