Global Stock Markets Today (Dec. 18, 2025): Stocks Steady Higher After Soft U.S. CPI as ECB Holds and BoE Cuts
U.S. stocks opened higher Thursday after November CPI rose 2.7% year-on-year, below forecasts, reviving bets on 2026 Fed rate cuts. European shares also gained, with the STOXX 600 up 0.5%. The ECB held rates while the Bank of England cut, and Japan’s Nikkei fell 1%. Treasury yields and the dollar slipped; oil prices stayed firm.