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 MarketThe Bank of Japan unanimously raised its key short-term interest rate by 25bps to 0.75% at its December meeting, marking the highest level since September 1995 and aligning with market expectations. The move marked the central bank’s second rate hike this year, following a similar increase in January, underscoring a gradual shift away from its ultra-loose policy stance. The BoJ said it expects companies to continue delivering steady wage increases in 2026, amid improving corporate profits. Even so, the board stressed that real interest rates remain “significantly negative” and that overall financial conditions are still broadly accommodative to ensure continued support for economic activity. Policymakers reiterated that if the outlook presented in October materializes, the board will continue to lift borrowing costs. The BoJ projected that core consumer price inflation will slow to below its 2% annual target through the first half of FY 2026, before gradually picking up thereafter.
