Lola Evans
23 Jan 2026, 02:39 GMT+10
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks continued to claw back losses Wednesday as the Trump turmoil of recent days ebbed. With a forced military takeover of Greenland, and renewed tariffs on the UK and major countries in Europe off the table, the panic that gripped the markets on Monday eased markedly.
"A lot of times the words that come out of the White House, it's all kind of part of the grander negotiation and that there's a certain outcome that's being driven towards, so any of the noise that takes place in the midst of that process playing out more often than not … they turn out to be buying opportunities," Eric Parnell, chief market strategist at Great Valley Advisor Group told CNBC Wednesday. "The fundamentals underlying the market continue to be strong," he added.
Tech Leads Rally
There were solid gains across the board Wednesday as technology shares led the broad-based rebound. The positive session pushed major indices closer to recent record levels.
Indices Post Broad Gains
The tech-heavy NASDAQ Composite outperformed, climbing 0.91 percent to close at 23,436.02.
The benchmark Standard and Poor's 500 rose 0.55 percent, gaining 37.74 points to finish the session at 6,913.36.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 306.78 points, an increase of 0.63 percent, closing at 49,384.01.
Market Context
The session was characterized by steady buying interest, with investors favoring growth-oriented sectors. The NASDAQ's significant outperformance suggests particular strength in technology and innovation stocks, which helped fuel the broader market's upward move.
Trading volumes were robust, with billions of shares changing hands on the major U.S. exchanges. The sustained advance indicates a resilient appetite for equities amid the current economic landscape.
Looking Ahead
The consistent gains across major North American indices reflect ongoing investor confidence. Market participants will now turn their attention to Friday's trading session for further directional cues.
U.S. Dollar Mixed as Commodity Currencies Surge on Thursday
The foreign exchange market saw a clear divergence in currency performance on Thursday, with the U.S. dollar weakening against European and commodity-linked units while holding steady against the Japanese yen.
Euro and Pound Gain Ground
The Euro broke above a key technical level, rallying 0.59 percent against the dollar to trade at 1.1751. Similarly, the British Pound advanced 0.57 percent, reaching 1.3500. The moves signaled a pause in the greenback's recent broad strength, driven by improved risk sentiment in European markets.
Commodity Dollars Lead Rally
The Australian and New Zealand dollars were the session's standout performers. The AUD/USD pair surged 1.14 percent to 0.6838, while the NZD/USD jumped 1.12 percent to 0.5907. The sharp appreciation was fueled by stronger-than-expected commodity prices and a positive drift in equity markets, boosting demand for risk-sensitive currencies.
Dollar Shows Select Strength and Weakness
The U.S. dollar's performance was mixed. It edged higher against the Japanese Yen, with USD/JPY rising 0.08 percent to 158.36, hovering near recent multi-decade highs.
However, the greenback lost significant ground against the Swiss Franc, with USD/CHF falling 0.74 percent to 0.7893, as the traditional safe-haven currency found bids. It also softened against the Canadian Dollar, with USD/CAD declining 0.33 percent to 1.3786, partly supported by firm oil prices.
Market Context
Analysts attributed the dollar's partial retreat to profit-taking after its recent rally and a modest recalibration of market expectations for immediate Federal Reserve policy. The strong gains in the Antipodean currencies, however, pointed to a firm "risk-on" appetite during the Thursday session, with traders moving into assets linked to global growh.
Global Stock Markets Close Higher on Thursday, Led by Tech and European Rally
Major global equity indices finished Thursday's session firmly in positive territory, with European benchmarks leading the charge on optimism around corporate earnings and economic data. The trading day painted a picture of broad, if sometimes modest, gains across Asia-Pacific and European markets.
European Indices Show Strong Momentum
The European continent saw robust gains, with Germany's DAX surging 1.20 percent to close at 24,856.47.
In France the CAC 40 advanced 0.99 percent to 8,148.89.
The pan-European EURO STOXX 50 was a standout performer, climbing 1.25 percent to 5,956.17.
The Euronext 100 rose 0.92 percent to 1,764.85, while Belgium's BEL 20 outperformed with a 1.42 percent gain, closing at 5,330.51.
The UK's FTSE 100 was a notable exception to the continent's strong gains, inching up a mere 0.12 percent to settle at 10,150.05.
Asia-Pacific Markets Mixed but Mostly Positive
In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 posted a stellar performance, jumping 1.73 percent to close at 53,688.89.
Australia's S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.75 percent to 8,848.70, and the broader All Ordinaries index rose 0.70 percent to 9,172.50.
Taiwan's TWSE index was a major winner, soaring 1.60 percent to 31,746.08. South Korea's KOSPI increased 0.87 percent to 4,952.53, and New Zealand's S&P/NZX 50 climbed 1.04 percent to 13,556.87.
Other Asian markets were more subdued. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index edged up 0.17 percent to 26,629.96, while Singapore's STI gained 0.38 percent. India's S&P BSE Sensex rose 0.49 percent to 82,307.37. Malaysia's FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI advanced 0.66 percent.
Indonesia's IDX Composite was the sole decliner in the region, dipping 0.20 percent to 8,992.18.
Other Notable Global Markets
In the Middle East, Israel's TA-125 rose 1.19 percent to 3,988.33. Egypt's EGX 30 increased 0.90 percent to 46,462.30. South Africa's Top 40 USD Net TRI Index gained 0.97 percent to 7,545.57.
Market Summary
The day was characterized by a clear "risk-on" sentiment, with investors favoring equities amid a relatively quiet news cycle. The strong performances in Europe and key Asian markets like Japan and Taiwan suggest confidence in regional economic resilience. The broadly positive closes set a hopeful tone ahead of the Friday trading session.
(This report incorporates quotes retrieved with the assistance of artificial intelligence).
Related stories:
Wednesday 21 January 2026 | U.S. stocks rebound after Trump backflip on Greenland, tariffs | Big News Network.com
Tuesday 20 January 2026 | Dow Jones sheds 871 pints as investors flee U.S. assets | Big News Network.com
Monday 19 January 2026 | UK and EU stocks tumble after hostilities with U.S. heighten over Greenland | Big News Network.com
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