- Stocks rise; Europe at record high again
- Precious metals rally shows no sign of stopping
- Dollar on the defensive; traders remain on yen intervention watch
SINGAPORE/LONDON, Jan 2 (Reuters) - European stocks began 2026 at fresh record highs as investors braced for a year set to test the AI-led rally, usher in a change of guard at the U.S. Federal Reserve, more government spending and potentially more turbulence under Donald Trump's presidency.
London's blue-chip FTSE 100 index hit the symbolic 10,000 points mark for the first time on Friday, while the pan-European STOXX 600 index hit another peak while on course for its third consecutive weekly advance.
The STOXX index finished 2025 with its best showing since 2021 on the back of falling interest rates, Germany's fiscal boost, and a rotation out of lofty U.S. tech names.
Asia, meanwhile, saw Hong Kong stocks kick off 2026 by climbing to a 1 1/2-month high, and markets in Taiwan, South Korea and Singapore hit record highs. Markets in Japan and China were closed.
Precious metals extended their runaway rally from last year, with spot gold up 1.6% to $4,384 an ounce, while spot silver jumped 4.3% to $74.37 per ounce.
Gold's 2025 rise was its biggest in 46 years, while silver and platinum made their largest gains on record, driven by a cocktail of factors including the Fed's rate cuts, geopolitical flashpoints, robust central bank buying, and ETF inflows.
Vishnu Varathan, Mizuho's head of macro research for Asia ex-Japan, said the rally also underscored "hedges against entrenching USD debasement risks."
S&P 500 futures rose 0.6%, while Nasdaq futures added 1%.
Stocks made strong gains in 2025 as markets weathered a year of tariff wars, the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, geopolitical strife as well as threats to central bank independence.
"The 2025 U.S. equity market rally has been fuelled by AI euphoria, robust corporate earnings, share buybacks and strong retail flows," said Saira Malik, chief investment officer at Nuveen.
"Bouts of volatility, such as those sparked by macro, geopolitical and policy uncertainty, as well as periodic shifts in sentiment around AI, are likely to remain a feature of equity markets, meaning investors should expect more hiccups in the coming year."
Vishnu Varathan, Mizuho's head of macro research for Asia ex-Japan, said the rally also underscored "hedges against entrenching USD debasement risks."
S&P 500 futures rose 0.6%, while Nasdaq futures added 1%.
Stocks made strong gains in 2025 as markets weathered a year of tariff wars, the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, geopolitical strife as well as threats to central bank independence.
"The 2025 U.S. equity market rally has been fuelled by AI euphoria, robust corporate earnings, share buybacks and strong retail flows," said Saira Malik, chief investment officer at Nuveen.
"Bouts of volatility, such as those sparked by macro, geopolitical and policy uncertainty, as well as periodic shifts in sentiment around AI, are likely to remain a feature of equity markets, meaning investors should expect more hiccups in the coming year."
The greenback has also been roiled by Trump's chaotic trade policies and worries about Fed independence - an issue set to come to the fore this year as the U.S. president prepares to announce Chair Jerome Powell's replacement later this month.
In commodities, oil prices were a tad lower on Friday after posting their biggest annual loss since 2020.
Brent crude futures were down 0.3% to $60.62 per barrel, while U.S. crude fell 0.4% to $57.20 a barrel. O/R/
Reporting by Rae Wee and Vidya Ranganathan; Editing by Shri Navaratnam, Thomas Derpinghaus and Kate Mayberry
Source: Reuters