Lola Evans
06 Jan 2026, 02:38 GMT+10
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stock jumped sharply Monday following the weekend's U.S. military actions in Venezuela which resulted in a number of airstrikes in the capital Caracas, and a number of regional areas, and the overthrow and abduction of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, both of whom appeared in a Manhattan court room on Monday, charged with drug trafficking and possession of machine guns..
The broad-based rally was boosted by a surge in energy stocks following President Trump's announcement on Sunday that the U.S. would run Venezuela, and would seize its oil wells, which house the largest oil reserves in the world.
"Maybe in the short term, it'll boost the price of oil because the question is surrounding the supply and delivery of oil," Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA Research,told CNBC Monday. "Longer term, it could end up being an improvement because Venezuela represents only 1 percent of the world's oil supply, and they've been getting worse and worse over the years. Their infrastructure needs to be improved, and possibly that is something that the U.S. can help with."
Wall Street kicked off the week with robust gains on Monday, as major indices closed firmly in positive territory, led by a powerful rally in blue-chip stocks, particularly in the energy sector.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) posted the strongest performance among the major U.S. benchmarks, soaring 595.10 points, or 1.23 percent, to close at 48,977.49. The significant advance brought the 30-stock index within striking distance of the 49,000 mark, reflecting broad-based investor optimism.
The broader S&P 500 (^GSPC) also enjoyed solid gains, rising 43.62 points, or 0.64 percent, to finish the session at 6,902.09. The benchmark index continued its steady climb closer to the 7,000 level, supported by strength across multiple sectors.
The tech-heavy NASDAQ Composite (^IXIC) kept pace with the rally, adding 160.19 points, or 0.69 percent, to end at 23,395.82. The gain underscored continued confidence in the technology sector despite recent volatility.
Analysts attributed Monday's buoyant sentiment to a combination of factors, including eased concerns over geopolitical tensions following the weekend coup in Venezuela, and positive momentum from the previous week's earnings reports. The universal gains suggested a risk-on mood among investors to start the trading period.
Monday's Closing U.S. Markets Snapshot:
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 48,977.49, +1.23 percent
S&P 500 Index: 6,902.09, +0.64 percent
NASDAQ Composite: 23,395.82, +0.69 percent
British Pound Leads Gains as Dollar Shows Mixed Signals in Monday Trading
The foreign exchange market saw a split performance on Monday, with the U.S. dollar weakening against UK and European and commodity-linked currencies but firming against some traditional safe havens. The British pound was the standout performer of the session.
Sterling rallied strongly against the greenback, with GBPUSD climbing 0.65 percent to last trade Monday at 1.3545. The move was attributed to a relative calm in UK politics and market positioning ahead of key economic data releases later in the week.
The euro also posted modest gains, with EURUSD rising 0.06 percent to 1.1726. The common currency held its ground despite lingering concerns over the economic outlook within the Eurozone.
The commodity-sensitive Australian and New Zealand dollars advanced, buoyed by stable risk sentiment. The AUDUSD pair rose 0.36 percent to 0.6715, while the NZDUSD pair gained 0.43 percent to 0.5789.
In contrast, the U.S. dollar found strength against the Japanese yen and the Canadian dollar. The USDJPY pair increased by 0.34 percent to 156.27, continuing its recent upward trajectory. The USDCAD pair also moved higher, up 0.27 percent to 1.3764, supported by stable oil prices.
The Swiss franc, another traditional safe-haven currency, edged lower against the dollar. The USDCHF pair ticked up by 0.04 percent to 0.7915.
Analysts suggested the currency movements reflected a cautiously optimistic market mood, with investors favoring currencies tied to growth while the dollar index remained in a holding pattern ahead of crucial inflation reports and central bank commentary.
Key Monday FX Rates:
EUR/USD: 1.1726, +0.06 percent
GBP/USD: 1.3545, +0.65 percent
USD/JPY: 156.27, +0.34 percent
USD/CAD: 1.3764, +0.27 percent
AUD/USD: 0.6715, +0.36 percent
NZD/USD: 0.5789, +0.43 percent
USD/CHF: 0.7915, +0.04 percent
Global Markets Rally as Asia and Canada Lead Gains; European Indices Post Steady Advances
Equity markets across the globe closed mostly higher on Monday, with Canadian and Asian benchmarks surging and European indices posting solid, broad-based gains, setting a positive tone for the trading week.
The session's standout performance came from the Asia-Pacific region.
Japan's Nikkei 225 (^N225) soared, closing at 51,832.80, a powerful gain of 1,493.32 points or 2.97 percent.
In South Korea the KOSPI Composite (^KS11) also recorded a stellar advance, jumping 147.89 points to finish at 4,457.52, up 3.43 percent. Taiwan's TWSE Index (^TWII) rose sharply by 2.57 percent to start the week, adding 755.23 points to close at 30,105.04.
In mainland China on Monday, the SSE Composite (000001.SS) climbed 1.38 percent to 4,023.42. Other notable gainers in Asia included Indonesia's IDX Composite (^JKSE), up 1.27 percent, and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 (^AXJO), which eked out a 0.01 percent gain. In Hong Kong the Hang Seng Index (^HSI) was nearly flat, rising a marginal 0.03 percent.
Canada's primary benchmark joined the upward trend. The S&P/TSX Composite Index (^GSPTSE) jumped 336.58 points, or 1.06 percent, closing at 32,219.95. The move highlighted synchronized strength in commodities and financials within the Canadian market.
UK and European markets sustained the positive momentum. Germany's DAX (^GDAXI) led the major continental indices, climbing 329.35 points or 1.34 percent to 24,868.69. The broader Euro Stoxx 50 (^STOXX50E) followed closely, gaining 1.25 percent to reach 5,923.69.
In the UK the FTSE 100 (^FTSE) advanced 0.54 percent Monday to close at 10,004.57, while France's CAC 40 (^FCHI) added a more modest 0.20 percent.
The pan-European Euronext 100 (^N100) index rose 1.04 percent. In Belgium the BEL 20 (^BFX) was a rare decliner in the region, dipping 0.25 percent.
Other global indices showed mixed results. India's S&P BSE SENSEX (^BSESN) fell 0.38 percent, and Egypt's EGX 30 (^CASE30) declined 0.54 percent.
New Zealand's S&P/NZX 50 (^NZ50) gained 0.29 percent, Malaysia's FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (^KLSE) rose 0.63 percent, and Israel's TA-125 (^TA125.TA) increased by 1.64 percent.
In South Africa the Top 40 USD Index (^JN0U.JO) closed 0.98 percent higher.
Key Monday Closing Figures:
FTSE 100 (UK): 10,004.57, +0.54 percent
DAX (Germany): 24,868.69, +1.34 percent
CAC 40 (France): 8,211.50, +0.20 percent
Euro Stoxx 50: 5,923.69, +1.25 percent
Nikkei 225 (Japan): 51,832.80, +2.97 percent
Hang Seng (Hong Kong): 26,347.24, +0.03 percent
KOSPI (South Korea): 4,457.52, +3.43 percent
S&P/ASX 200 (Australia): 8,728.60, +0.01 percent
S&P BSE SENSEX (India): 85,439.62, -0.38 percent
SSE Composite (China): 4,023.42, +1.38 percent
The strong performance, particularly in Asian technology and export-heavy markets, was attributed to renewed investor optimism surrounding global economic resilience and sector-specific tailwinds.
(This report incorporates quotes retrieved with the assistance of artificial intelligence).
Related stories:
Friday 2 January 2026 | U.S. stocks kick off 2026 in style, Dow jumps 319 points | Big News Network.com
Wednesday 31 December 2025 | Wall Street marks New Year's Eve with major losses | Big News Network.com
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