NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stock markets closed firmly in positive territory to start the week Monday, with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average leading gains amid renewed investor optimism.

The Standard and Poor's 500 hit another record high.

Key Index Performances

🇺🇸 U.S. Markets

• Standard and Poor's 500 ↑ – Gained 31.88 points (0.52 percent) to close at 6,204.95, with trading volume reaching 3.287 billion shares.

• Dow Jones Industrial Average ↑ – Jumped 275.50 points (0.63 percent) to 44,094.77, led by strength in financial and industrial stocks.

• NASDAQ Composite ↑ – Added 96.28 points (0.47 percent) to 20,369.73, supported by tech sector resilience.

Market Drivers

• Tech and Financials Lead: Megacap tech stocks contributed to the Nasdaq's advance, while banks boosted the Dow.

• Light Volume Day: Trading activity was moderate, suggesting cautious optimism ahead of key economic data.

FX Markets Recap: Euro and Commodity Currencies Gain on Monday 

The foreign exchange markets on Monday saw all the major indices making gains against the U.S. dollar.

Key Movers in Forex

• EUR/USD ↑ – The euro rose 0.53 percent to 1.1778, marking its strongest daily gain in over a week.

• USD/JPY ↓ – The dollar slipped 0.45 percent against the yen to 143.97, retreating from recent highs.

• USD/CAD ↓ – The Canadian dollar strengthened, pushing the pair down 0.42 percent to 1.3620 as oil prices supported the loonie.

• GBP/USD ↑ – Sterling inched up 0.06 percent to 1.3725, holding steady near recent highs.

• USD/CHF ↓ – The Swiss franc outperformed, sending the pair down 0.60 percent to 0.7933, its biggest drop in two weeks.

• AUD/USD ↑ – The Australian dollar surged 0.78 percent to 0.6580, leading gains among commodity currencies.

• NZD/USD ↑ – The New Zealand dollar followed suit, climbing 0.72 percent to 0.6094 on improved risk sentiment.

Market Drivers

• Euro Strength: The EUR/USD rally came amid easing political concerns in the Eurozone and slightly better-than-expected economic data.

• Dollar Softness: The U.S. dollar index (DXY) dipped as Treasury yields stabilized, reducing demand for the greenback.

• Commodity Currencies Shine: The AUD and NZD benefited from rising metals and dairy prices, while the CAD drew support from firmer oil markets.

Global Markets Monday: European Equities Under Pressure, Asia Mixed

Monday's trading session saw divergence across regions, with European markets under pressure, Asia mixed, and commodities rallying, resulting in advances for the Australian and New Zealand indices. Below is a detailed breakdown of regional moves:.

🇨🇦 Canadian Market

• S&P/TSX Composite ↑ – Rose 164.79 points (0.62 percent) to 26,857.11, lifted by energy and materials sectors as commodity prices firmed.

UK and Europe

• FTSE 100 (UK): Dropped 37.95 points (0.43 percent) to close at 8,760.96.

• DAX (Germany): Fell 123.61 points (0.51 percent) to 23,909.61.

• CAC 40 (France): Slipped 25.64 points (0.33 percent) to 7,665.91.

• EURO STOXX 50: Declined 22.40 points (0.42 percent) to 5,303.24.

• BEL 20 (Belgium): Lost 33.01 points (0.73 percent) to 4,476.02.

Asia and Pacific

• Hang Seng (Hong Kong): Tumbled 211.87 points (0.87 percent) to 24,072.28.

• STI (Singapore): Edged down 1.91 points (0.05 percent) to 3,964.29.

• S&P/ASX 200 (Australia): Gained 28.10 points (0.33 percent) to 8,542.30.

• S&P/NZX 50 (New Zealand): Advanced 19.23 points (0.15 percent) to 12,602.82.

• All Ordinaries (Australia): Rose 29.40 points (0.34 percent) to 8,773.00.

• Nikkei 225 (Japan): Jumped 336.60 points (0.84 percent) to 40,487.39.

• KOSPI (South Korea): Added 15.76 points (0.52 percent) to 3,071.70.

• TWSE (Taiwan): Plunged 324.06 points (1.44 percent) to 22,256.02.

• SSE Composite (China): Climbed 20.20 points (0.59 percent) to 3,444.43.

• S&P BSE SENSEX (India): Fell 452.44 points (0.54 percent) to 83,606.46.

• IDX Composite (Indonesia): Increased 30.28 points (0.44 percent) to 6,927.68.

• FBM KLCI (Malaysia): Inched up 4.80 points (0.31 percent) to 1,532.96.

Middle East Markets

• TA-125 (Israel): Gained 10.06 points (0.33 percent) to 3,022.50.

• EGX 30 (Egypt): Surged 259.10 points (0.79 percent) to 32,857.60.

• Top 40 USD Net TRI (South Africa): Rose 49.12 points (0.92 percent) to 5,368.73.

Africa

• Top 40 USD Net TRI (South Africa): Rose 49.12 points (0.92 percent) to 5,368.73.

Market Sentiment

European markets faced broad declines, while Asia showed a split performance with notable gains in Japan and Australia offset by losses in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Investors and traders remain cautious amid geopolitical tensions and fluctuating economic data.