Friday
- Hong Kong’s Hang Seng surged 2.8% while South Korea’s Kospi climbed 2.3% to hit fresh record highs. London’s FTSE 100 crossed 10,000 points for the first time. European markets hit fresh records with the STOXX 600 advancing.
- The Nifty Metal index gained for a fourth consecutive session. Nasdaq futures gained 1% with technology stocks leading advances.
Thursday
- Global equity markets concluded 2025 with mixed momentum, with the S&P 500 finishing up approximately 17%, the Nasdaq advancing 21%, and the Dow rising 14%. Gold surged 65% and silver advanced over 150% for their best years since 1979, while the stock market-to-GDP ratio hit 218%, significantly exceeding dot-com bubble levels.
- U.S. initial jobless claims fell to 199,000 in late December, below economist expectations of 220,000. The Federal Reserve remained divided on future rate cuts with officials expressing continued concerns about inflation alongside evidence of labor market weakness.
Wednesday
- The U.S. dollar index posted its sharpest annual decline since 2017, falling approximately 8-10% amid expectations of further Federal Reserve rate cuts.Gold prices rose by Rs 640 per 10 grams at the start of 2026, entering consolidation after recording their strongest year since 1979 in 2025.
- Global brokerages forecast equity market gains of 10-26% in 2026 with earnings growth expected to exceed 15%.
- International markets remained largely closed on New Year’s Day, limiting transaction volumes and creating range-bound trading conditions. Treasury yields stayed elevated despite central bank rate cuts, constraining banking sector performance while technology stocks attracted value-buying interest.
Tuesday
- European markets reached fresh all-time highs on Tuesday, with the STOXX 600 rising despite thin year-end trading volumes. The STOXX 50 gained 0.4% to 5,776 points, positioning European equities for their strongest annual performance since 2021.
- Japan’s Nikkei 225 closed above 50,000 for the first time in history, marking a gain of nearly 25% for the year. India’s Sensex remained unchanged amid foreign fund outflows totaling ₹2,760 crore on Monday.
- Precious metals rebounded from Monday’s sharp selloffs, with gold recovering 1% to $4,378 per ounce after a 4.6% plunge. The Chicago Mercantile Exchange raised margin requirements on precious metals futures, contributing to the volatility.
- The Chinese yuan strengthened past the 7-per-dollar level for the first time in over two years. Meta acquired AI startup Manus for over $2 billion while Citigroup agreed to sell its remaining Russian operations.
Monday
- European equities opened the final trading week of 2025 positively, with the STOXX 50 rising 0.2% near record highs. Defense stocks underperformed significantly due to geopolitical developments regarding Ukraine peace talks.
- Asian markets showed mixed performance with South Korea’s Kospi jumping over 2% while Japan’s Nikkei and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng ended lower. Silver pulled back after briefly touching $80 per ounce, with the surge driven by supply constraints and industrial demand from solar panels, electric vehicles, and AI data centers.
- Investors await Tuesday’s Federal Reserve meeting minutes release for insights into 2026 monetary policy direction. The prospect of further rate cuts has supported market sentiment despite concerns about stretched technology sector valuations.
