Global Stock Markets Today (26.12.2025): Wall Street Near Record Highs as Asia Advances and Holiday Trading Stays Thin
NEW YORK — 26.12.2025 (10:14 a.m. EST) — Global stock markets were broadly steady to modestly higher on Friday as investors returned from the Christmas holiday to a session defined by thin liquidity, year-end positioning, and a continued focus on the 2026 interest-rate path. In early U.S. trading, the S&P 500 hovered near 6,939 (+0.1%), the Nasdaq Composite near 23,646 (+0.1%), and the Dow near 48,736 (little changed). In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose about 0.7%, while mainland China edged higher. Meanwhile, many major European cash markets remained shut for Boxing Day/St Stephen’s Day, leaving global price action heavily concentrated