European Stocks Start 2026 at Record High; UK FTSE Tops 10,000
European stocks began the new year at all-time highs, benefiting from optimism around economic growth, while miners were boosted by higher commodity prices.
The Stoxx Europe 600 was up 0.7% at the close. Autos and tech stocks were among the biggest outperformers, while real estate and media shares lagged. The blue-chip Euro Stoxx 50 closed at a record high, while the UK’s FTSE 100 surpassed 10,000 points for the first time ever, after wrapping up its best year since 2009.
Europe’s main equity benchmark advanced 17% last year, notching its biggest annual gain since 2021 amid resilient economic growth and the prospect of higher fiscal spending in the region.
“While the big unknown in the US is the fate of AI stocks, in Europe, the fiscal spending on infrastructure in Germany and defense across Europe should boost growth and stock markets alike,” said Joachim Klement, a strategist at Panmure Liberum.
Among individual movers, Munters Group AB shares jumped 12% after the Swedish industrial ventilation and cooling company received orders for data center equipment in the US.
Elsewhere, BE Semiconductor Industries NV and ASM International NV rose as chip-equipment stocks benefitted from a tech rally in Asia.
Source : Bloomberg.com
