Lola Evans
28 Jul 2026, 02:10 GMT+10
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks closed with a mixed performance on Monday, as a rally in blue-chip industrials propelled the Dow Jones Industrial Average higher, while a pullback in technology shares dragged the Nasdaq Composite into negative territory.
The Standard and Poor's 500 eked out a fractional gain, rising just 1.26 points, or 0.02 percent, to finish at 7,413.24. The broad-market benchmark traded between an intraday low of 7,382.74 and a high of 7,480.57, reflecting a day of cautious trading with volume reaching 2.979 billion shares. The index remains well above its 52-week low of 6,212.69 and within striking distance of its high of 7,620.90.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was the standout performer, surging 262.44 points, or 0.51 percent, to close on Monday at 52,209.69. The blue-chip index reached a session high of 52,607.78, marking a new all-time peak, as investors rotated into cyclical and value-oriented names. Trading volume on the Dow totaled 472.139 million shares. The index's 52-week trading range now spans from a low of 43,340.68 to a high of 53,289.30.
In contrast, the technology-heavy NASDAQ Composite struggled, shedding 43.74 points, or 0.18 percent, to end the day at 24,932.08. The decline came as major tech names faced profit-taking following a strong recent run, with rising bond yields also putting pressure on growth and valuation-sensitive stocks. Volume on the Nasdaq reached 5.788 billion shares.
U.S. Dollar Holds Firm Against Most Major Peers, But Slips Versus Yen and Aussie
The U.S. dollar posted a mixed performance in Monday's foreign exchange trading, gaining ground against most of its major counterparts but losing traction against the Japanese yen and the Australian dollar, as shifting interest rate expectations and commodity prices drove diverging moves.
The euro edged marginally higher against the greenback, with the EUR-USD pair closing at 1.13.68, up a scant 0.02 percent. The move was largely symbolic, reflecting tepid trading volumes as European markets emerged from a quiet summer session.
Against the Japanese yen, however, the dollar softened. The USD-JPY pair settled at 163.77, declining by 0.04 percent, as safe-haven demand for the yen emerged amid modest risk-off sentiment in late trading. The move snapped a recent streak of dollar strength against the Japanese currency.
The British pound also lost ground, with GBP-USD falling to 1.3289, a drop of 0.27 percent. Traders cited ongoing concerns over the UK economic outlook and widening rate differentials as key drivers behind sterling's underperformance.
In contrast, the Australian dollar was one of the few currencies to post a gain against the U.S. dollar. The AUD-USD pair rose to 0.6988, an increase of 0.13 percent, supported by a rebound in commodity prices and improving sentiment around China's economic stimulus measures. That gain made the Aussie one of only two major currencies—alongside the yen—to advance against the dollar on Monday.
The greenback reversed course against its North American neighbor, with USD-CAD climbing to 1.4125, up 0.21 percent. The move came as crude oil prices eased slightly, weighing on the commodity-linked Canadian dollar.
Meanwhile, the Swiss franc depreciated against the dollar, as USD-CHF rose 0.11 percent to 0.8191. The modest advance reflected the dollar's broader resilience amid expectations that the Federal Reserve may maintain a relatively hawkish stance compared to other central banks.
Overall, the dollar's strength was broad-based, with the exception of the Australian dollar and the Japanese yen, which managed to buck the trend. Analysts said the diverging performance underscores the market's sensitivity to shifting global growth narratives and central bank policy signals, with traders now turning their focus to upcoming U.S. inflation data and remarks from Federal Reserve officials later in the week.
Global Markets Close Mixed on Monday as Tech Weighs on European Benchmarks
Global stock markets closed with a mixed performance on Monday, as investors weighed corporate earnings expectations against broader economic concerns. European indexes largely edged higher, though a pullback in technology shares weighed on some regional gauges, while Asian markets posted solid gains to start the trading week.
Canada's S&P/TSX Composite index joined the broader upward trend, advancing 199.04 points, or 0.56 percent, to close at 35,568.14. The gains were supported by strength in energy and financial sectors, with trading volume reaching 241.959 million shares.
In London, the FTSE 100 index advanced by 45.52 points, or 0.42 percent, to close at 10,781.75. The UK benchmark traded between an intraday low of 10,736.14 and a high of 10,820.94, reflecting cautious optimism among investors.
Germany's DAX P outperformed its European peers, rallying 262.03 points, or 1.04 percent, to finish at 25,361.03. The index reached a session high of 25,560.40, underscoring strong demand for industrial and automotive stocks.
France's CAC 40 added 33.78 points, or 0.40 percent, closing at 8,406.06, while the broader EURO STOXX 50 I eked out a fractional gain of just 1.27 points, or 0.02 percent, to settle at 6,282.21, as gains in financials were nearly offset by losses elsewhere.
However, the tech-heavy Euronext 100 Index slipped into negative territory, falling 16.28 points, or 0.85 percent, to end the day at 1,905.04. The index traded as low as 1,904.98, reflecting a broad-based selloff in technology names. Similarly, Belgium's BEL 20 declined by 27.37 points, or 0.48 percent, to finish at 5,707.41.
In Asia, markets closed higher across the board. Hong Kong's HANG SENG INDEX jumped 243.95 points, or 0.98 percent, to 25,207.18, while Singapore's STI Index rose 31.90 points, or 0.57 percent, to 5,620.24. Australia saw robust gains, with the S&P/ASX 200 advancing 121.70 points, or 1.39 percent, to 8,894.00, and the broader ALL ORDINARIES adding 122.30 points, or 1.37 percent, to close at 9,063.80.
India's S&P BSE SENSEX surged 776.01 points, or 1.02 percent, to finish at 76,835.78, while South Korea's KOSPI Composite Index climbed 65.13 points, or 0.97 percent, to 6,755.75. Malaysia's FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI rose 12.07 points, or 0.71 percent, to 1,713.09, and New Zealand's S&P/NZX 50 INDEX GROSS added 78.40 points, or 0.57 percent, to close at a session high of 13,850.69.
Japan's Nikkei 225 also finished higher, gaining 320.04 points, or 0.50 percent, to end the day at 64,931.19.
Elsewhere in the region, China's SSE Composite Index advanced 44.05 points, or 1.15 percent, on volume of 3.243 billion shares, while Indonesia's IDX COMPOSITE bucked the trend, slipping 10.65 points, or 0.17 percent, to 6,185.78.
Taiwan's TWSE Capitalization Weighted Stock Index edged down 20.65 points, or 0.05 percent, closing at 43,634.19, and Israel's TA-125 fell sharply by 78.26 points, or 1.87 percent, to 4,095.62.
In Africa, Egypt's EGX 30 Price Return Index rose 216.30 points, or 0.40 percent, on volume of 416.487 million, while South Africa's Top 40 USD Net TRI Index gained 73.49 points, or 1.13 percent, to close at 6,558.36.
Trading volume was generally light to moderate as investors looked ahead to key economic data releases later in the week. Analysts noted that the divergence between tech and cyclical sectors suggests ongoing rotation in portfolios as the earnings season progresses.
(This report incorporates quotes retrieved with the assistance of artificial intelligence).
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