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Global shares advance, while most Asian
markets are closed for the Lunar New Year
[February 17, 2026]
By YURI KAGEYAMA
TOKYO (AP)
— European shares advanced Tuesday after a quiet day in Asia, where most
markets were closed for Lunar New Year holidays.
France's CAC 40 inched up 0.1% to 8,318.51, while Germany's DAX gained
0.2% to 24,845.47. Britain's FTSE 100 picked up 0.4% to 10,481.00. |
A person walks in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's
Nikkei index at a securities firm Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, in Tokyo. (AP
Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) |
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The
future for the S&P 500 was down 0.3% while that for the Dow
Jones Industrial Average edged 0.1% lower.
Weak economic data for Japan appeared to be clouding sentiment
in Tokyo, and a 5.1% decline for tech giant SoftBank Group also
pulled shares lower. The decline follows a big rally after a
resounding win for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s ruling party
in a Feb. 8 general election.
The Nikkei 225 slipped 0.4% to finish at 56,566.49.
Traders likely were locking in profits from the recent gains
that took the Nikkei to record levels. Polls show Takaichi's
popularity is slowly slipping, as hopes for economic revival
from her plans to increase government spending and cut taxes
subside.
In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.2% to 8,958.90, while
India's Sensex edged 0.2% higher. In Thailand, the SET added
1.4%.
Trading in the U.S. was closed for Presidents Day on Monday.
On Friday, the S&P 500 edged up less than 0.1% a day after one
of its worst losses since Thanksgiving. The Dow Jones Industrial
Average rose 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.2%.
Share prices have been waxing and waning with fluctuations in
confidence over massive investments in AI. Investors are also
focused on inflation and how price pressures might affect
interest rates. Also in the spotlight for later in the day are
jobs data from Britain.
In other dealings early Tuesday, benchmark U.S. crude rose 26
cents to $63.15 a barrel. Brent crude, the international
standard, lost 65 cents to $68.00 a barrel.
The U.S. dollar slipped to 152.90 Japanese yen from 153.51 yen.
The euro cost $1.1850 down from $1.1852.
The price of gold fell 2% and silver was down 4.4%. Bitcoin fell
01.3% to about $68,000.
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