European Shares Seen Mixed At Open

(RTTNews) - European stocks are seen opening mixed on the first trading day of 2026 on Friday, following the New Year's Day holiday.

U.S. equity futures ticked higher after the major indexes fell for a fourth straight session on Wednesday to wrap up 2025.

But full-year performance was robust, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite rallying by 20.4 percent for the year, the S&P 500 surging by 16.4 percent and the Dow adding 13.0 percent amid the euphoria around AI-linked stocks.

Closer home, the Stoxx 600 index soared 17 percent last year in its biggest annual gain since 2021 amid resilient economic growth and the prospect of higher fiscal spending in the region.

Later today, EV giant Tesla is due to report its fourth-quarter deliveries figures after a strong Q3.

Elsewhere, there are reports of stepped-up AI chip orders from Nvidia to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC).

Asian stocks were mostly higher after ending 2025 on a subdued note. Regional trading volumes remain thin due to holidays in Japan, China and New Zealand.

The dollar began 2026 on a weak footing after suffering its sharpest drop in eight years.

As economic uncertainties mount, investors wait to see whether the next Federal Reserve chief would opt for deeper interest-rate cuts.

Current head Jerome Powell's term ends in May and President Donald Trump already said that he wants to see interest rates go down to 1 percent.

Gold was up nearly 1.5 percent after recording its biggest jump since the 1979 oil crisis in 2025.

Amid expectations of two additional Federal Reserve rate cuts in 2026, investors now await the release of key economic data including the U.S. payrolls report and jobless data next week for additional clues on the outlook for interest rates.

Oil traded higher on the first trading day of 2026 post its biggest annual drop since 2020, with an upcoming OPEC+ meeting and geopolitical concerns in focus.

U.S. and European markets were closed on Thursday for the New Year holiday. On Wednesday, U.S. stocks ended lower for a fourth consecutive session in light New Year's Eve trading as minutes from the Federal Reserve's December policy meeting revealed deep divisions among policymakers over the path of interest rates in 2026.

In economic releases, data showed new claims for unemployment benefits fell in holiday week but stayed near a monthslong range.