Wall Street Opens 2026 Flat and European Markets Reach Records
Outside the United States, equity markets extended gains. In Europe, the Euro Stoxx 50 rose 0.69% to a new all-time high.
Quick overview
- Technology stocks linked to artificial intelligence are seeing increased trading activity, reflecting renewed optimism in the sector.
- Global equity markets are experiencing a strong start to 2026, with major indexes in the UK and Europe reaching record highs.
- The S&P 500 is slightly down while the Nasdaq Composite shows modest gains, with notable performances from Micron Technology and Intel.
- Investor focus is shifting to U.S. manufacturing data, which aligns with expectations but shows a slight decline from the previous month.
Technology stocks tied to artificial intelligence are among the most actively traded names ahead of the open, signaling renewed optimism around AI.
A fresh wave of enthusiasm for artificial intelligence is lifting global equity markets at the start of 2026. Major U.S. indexes are trading mixed on Friday, while leading stock markets in the United Kingdom and across Europe are pushing to new record highs.
In early trading, the S&P 500 was down 0.03%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite gained 0.22%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lagged, falling 0.33%.
Among the strongest performers were Micron Technology (+7.68%), Intel (+5.8%), and Lam Research (+6.2%). On the downside, shares of Intuit (-4.6%), ServiceNow (-4.45%), and Fair Isaac (-4.04%) posted the steepest declines.
The most actively traded stocks are concentrated in the AI-linked technology space. NVIDIA rose 2.1%, while Intel, Tesla (-0.89%), Micron, and Amazon (-1.53%) also saw heavy volume.
With no major corporate earnings releases on the calendar, investor attention turned to U.S. manufacturing data. The latest ISM manufacturing PMI came in at 51.8 in December, in line with expectations but slightly below November’s reading.
Global Markets Set New Records
Outside the United States, equity markets extended gains. In Europe, the Euro Stoxx 50 rose 0.69% to a new all-time high, heading for its third consecutive weekly gain. Germany’s DAX edged down 0.05% after the PMI release, while France’s CAC 40 added 0.23%.
In the UK, the FTSE 100 climbed 0.37%, breaking above the symbolic 10,000-point level for the first time, marking a strong start to 2026 for British equities.
Asian markets also opened the year on a bullish note. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index surged 2.76%, reaching a one-and-a-half-month high. Markets in Taiwan, South Korea, and Singapore hit record levels as well, while exchanges in Japan and mainland China remained closed for holidays.
Overall, while Wall Street lacks clear direction at the start of the year, global equity markets are entering 2026 with strong momentum—once again led by optimism around artificial intelligence.
- Check out our free forex signals
- Follow the top economic events on FX Leaders economic calendar
- Trade better, discover more Forex Trading Strategies
- Open a FREE Trading Account
