S&P 500 — US Large Cap Index
FTSE 100 — UK Blue Chips
Euro Stoxx 50 — Eurozone Leaders
DAX 40 — German Equities
CAC 40 — French Market Index
Nikkei 225 — Japan Benchmark
Hang Seng — Hong Kong Index
Shanghai Composite — China Mainland
ASX 200 — Australian Market
TSX Composite — Canada Index
Nifty 50 — India Large Cap
STI Index — Singapore Market
KOSPI — South Korea Index
Bovespa — Brazil Equities
JSE Top 40 — South Africa Index
IPC Index — Mexico MarketChina posted a solid start to 2026, with key activity indicators exceeding expectations in the combined January–February period, according to the statistics agency. Industrial output and retail sales both grew faster than forecast, highlighting momentum in manufacturing and consumer spending. Fixed-asset investment also surprised on the upside, rising 1.8% against market calls for a 0.4% decline. Meantime, the surveyed jobless rate averaged 5.3%, unchanged from a year earlier, suggesting broadly stable labor market conditions. Despite the upbeat data, the agency cautioned that challenges remain. It warned of intensifying external pressures, elevated geopolitical risks, and persistent domestic structural issues. Some enterprises continue to face operational strains amid the country’s economic transition. Policymakers, the agency stressed, must balance sustaining growth momentum with strengthening resilience in an uncertain global environment.
