Global markets open 2026 higher

Saturday, 3 January 2026 00:36 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Global stock markets began 2026 on a positive note, with major indices in Britain and South Korea reaching record levels as investor optimism around artificial intelligence extended into the New Year.

In early European trading yesterday, London’s FTSE 100 climbed 1% to an intraday high of 10,033.94, marking the first time the index crossed the 10,000 level. Gains were led by precious metals miners, with Fresnillo rising 5.7% and Anglo American advancing 1.5%, supported by recent strength in gold, silver and copper prices.

Germany’s DAX rose 0.5% to 24,619.41, while France’s CAC 40 gained 0.8% to 8,213.59.

US equity futures also pointed higher, with S&P 500 futures up 0.6% and Dow Jones Industrial Average futures gaining 0.2%.

Buying interest in technology-related stocks was underpinned by expectations that artificial intelligence will drive demand for computer chips, data centres and related infrastructure.

In Asia, South Korea’s Kospi surged 2.3% to 4,309.63, led by a 7.2% jump in Samsung Electronics. Chipmaker SK Hynix, a key supplier for AI applications and a partner of Nvidia, rose 4%.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index climbed 2.8% to 26,338.47, supported by a strong rally in technology shares. Alibaba gained 4.3%, while Baidu jumped 9.4% after announcing plans to spin off its artificial intelligence chip unit, Kunlunxin, with a Hong Kong listing targeted for early 2027, subject to regulatory approvals.

Markets in Tokyo, Shanghai, Thailand and New Zealand were closed.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 edged up 0.2% to 8,727.30. Taiwan’s Taiex advanced 1.3%, while India’s Sensex added 0.6%.

US equities ended 2025 with a fourth consecutive daily decline despite strong full-year gains. The S&P 500 fell 0.7% on the final trading day, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.6%, and the Nasdaq Composite slid 0.8%.

For the year, the S&P 500 notched 39 record highs and finished up 16.4%. The Nasdaq gained 20.4%, while the Dow rose 13%.

In commodities trading, silver rose 4.8% early Friday after a sharp pullback earlier in the week, having surged more than 140% in 2025. Gold gained 1.4%, ending last year with a 63.7% increase.

Oil prices eased, with US benchmark crude down 12 cents at $ 57.30 a barrel and Brent crude slipping 13 cents to $ 60.72.

In currency markets, the US dollar strengthened slightly to ¥ 156.85, while the euro eased to $ 1.1733.