The Nikkei 225 rose 267 points, or 0.5%, to end at 50,675 on Friday, rebounding from three muted sessions and posting a second straight weekly gain of 0.7%, lifted by strength in several heavyweight blue chips. Meanwhile, Japan's broader Topix index briefly hit a record high before easing. Sentiment was lifted by cabinet approval of a record budget for FY 2026, aimed at balancing proactive fiscal support with long-term debt management, and set to be submitted to the Diet in January. Markets also reacted to plans that Tokyo may reduce issuance of super-long bonds next year, pulling benchmark...
US equity futures remained sluggish on Friday (December 26th), expected to remain in thin trading after the market closed for a holiday. Contracts tracking the S&P 500 and the Dow held near their record highs amid expectations that continued economic growth and more accommodative monetary policy are supporting earnings prospects. Despite optimism that corporate earnings will remain strong, skepticism about the magnitude of the Fed's interest rate cuts next year and lingering concerns that excessive capital spending on AI infrastructure prevented a sharper "Santa Claus rally" as the new...
The S&P 500 and Dow rose 0.1%, closing at record highs as strength in the technology and energy sectors offset caution related to strong growth data. The Nasdaq also rose 0.1%. Nvidia rose 1% after announcing a licensing deal with AI startup Groq, reviving demand for AI-related stocks and supporting the broader megacap complex. Energy stocks also found support as renewed U.S. action and rhetoric against Venezuelan exports helped support crude oil prices. At the same time, investors digested the delayed BEA release showing third-quarter GDP grew at a strong annualized pace of 4.3%,...
Japanese stocks weakened in quiet trading amid uncertainty about the economic outlook and the strength of corporate earnings performance going forward. The electronics sector led the declines, primarily due to pressure. At 00:32 GMT, the Nikkei Stock Average fell 0.2% to 50,630.94. Market movements were said to remain fragile as investors weighed the risks of an economic slowdown and potential pressure on corporate earnings. At the stock level, several names in the technology/electronics sector weighed. Kioxia Holdings fell 2.8%, while Canon Inc. fell 1.9%, reflecting weakening interest in...
Global stocks held near record levels, while silver briefly hit a new peak before breaking its closing high amid quiet holiday trading. Asian stock indicators rose 0.2% in early trading, while US stock futures held steady after the S&P 500 closed near its all-time high on Friday. Silver briefly rallied 6% and broke through $80 per share for the first time, but then reversed its gains and fell more than 2%. "We are witnessing a generational bubble unfolding in silver," wrote IG Australia analyst Tony Sycamore on Sunday, highlighting the strong speculative drive and extreme price...