The stock markets seem to be experiencing a new thrill of enthusiasm for risky activities by focusing on technology stocks e Bitcoin, while also thegold and silver gain momentum from Friday's rally Wall Street. This settimana attention will focus on the busy schedule of US dataIn Japan the decisive victory of Sanae Takaichi led to a sharp rise in the Nikkei, but a decline in government bonds. Petroleum cools down with the apparent easing of tension in the Middle East. Beware of the UK After Prime Minister Starmer had to bid farewell to his top political adviser, Morgan McSweeney, over the weekend, the rally looks set to continue, with US and European stock market futures rising.
Asia is buoyant thanks to tech. Tokyo's Nikkei shines after Takaichi's win.
The Asian world is mostly in sharp gains. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index rose as much as 2,2%. As U.S. investors shy away from tech stocks with stratospheric valuations, Asian markets could benefit from relatively lower ratings and more solid growth prospects. The index Kospi of the Seoul Stock Exchange, a symbol of investments in artificial intelligence, jumped by 3,7%. Shares of the Samsung Electronics Co. rose as much as 6,4% after news that the company will soon begin mass production of HBM4 memory chips, which are used in the development of artificial intelligence infrastructure.
The first woman Japanese Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, He hit the jackpot in the election, sparking a 4,5% rally in the Nikkei to an all-time high in a surge that saw it surpass the 57.000 mark for the first time. It was a landslide victory, with the LDP winning 316 of the 465 seats in the lower house of parliament, its best result ever. Together with his coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, Takaichi controls 352 seats and a qualified two-thirds majority. This should pave the way, according to the program by Takaichi, to greater defense spending, tax cuts, corporate reforms and to inflationary policies in general.
While equity investors are pleased, the prospect that all this expenditure is financed by debt has caused the yields of JGBs (the government bonds Japanese) at two years old reached the highest level since 1996, at 1,3%. yen had already been sold in anticipation of victory, so the instinctive adjustment of the position contributed to a modest rebound The dollar fell about 0,3% to 156,80 yen, moving away from a zone seen as a trigger for policy intervention. The dollar reached around 159,45 per dollar in mid-January, the yen's weakest since 2024. Analysts generally say that the fact that Japan could have a government and leader that will last longer than a year or two should support markets.
Elsewhere, the baht appreciated after the ruling Conservative Party in Thailand achieved a surprisingly solid electoral victory.
In the rest of Asia, the index Hang Seng of Hong Kong rose 2%, while in mainland China, the CSI 300 Shanghai Shenzhen Index and the Shanghai Composite both advanced 1,3%.
As for raw materials, crude oil Brent fell 0,9% as tensions in the Middle East eased.
Wall Street rose sharply on Friday. The Dow rose above 50.000 points. Sector rotation continued.
On Wall Street last week we saw confirmation of the change of direction of investors who tend to step away dai technological sectors large-cap stocks with stellar valuations and target market segments that have been lagging behind in the last three years of rallying, such as energy, consumer staples, and industrials. During the last weekThe Dow Jones gained 2,5%, while the S&P 500 lost 0,1% and the Nasdaq slipped 1,9%.
However, Friday It was a decidedly brilliant session for all indices, but especially for the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which surpassed the historic threshold of 50.000 points. But the index also closed sharply higher. S & P 500 (+ 1,97%) and the Nasdaq (+2,18%), with Nvidia and other chipmakers rising sharply, while Amazon fell (-5,6%) after announcing new heavy spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure. Nvidia jumped 7,8%. Advanced Micro Devices of 8,3% e Broadcom by 7,1%, while the semiconductor index PHLX closed up 5,7%.
Friday's gains in the S&P 500 and Nasdaq followed three consecutive days of losses, characterized by concerns about artificial intelligence. Several software companies were hit last week by fears that artificial intelligence could create more competition and hurt their margins, while investors also fretted about high valuations after years of strong gains in AI-related stocks.
This week the focus will be on a flurry of US economic data, particularly on Wednesday's January payrolls data and inflation two days later. This unusual clustering follows last month's partial government shutdown, which delayed several key economic releases. Market participants estimate a less than 20% probability that the Federal Reserve reduce the rates next month, after policymakers decided in January to keep the benchmark in a range between 3,5% and 3,75%.
Apple Inc. will kick off a 2026 product launch campaign with the iPhone 17e, updated iPads, and new Macs.
European stocks opened higher. At the Milan Stock Exchange, UniCredit, Stellantis, and STM were all eyes on the stock market.
European stocks expected to rise. Euro Stoxx 50 futures up 0,4%.
The speech of the president of the ECB Christine Lagarde In Strasbourg, he will be attending the European Parliament plenary debate on the state of the EU economy and the activities of the central bank. He will also speak: Catherine Mann, a policy strategist at the Bank of England.
In UK, Keir Starmer's chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, He resigned yesterday amid the outcry over his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as the UK's ambassador to Washington. It is not yet clear whether Starmer will be able to remain in power, nor who will replace him if he is ousted from the party, leaving the applies vulnerable to debt-related fears.
Amplifon. Sharp acceleration in reimbursement requests for hearing aids in France in December (+18,6% year-on-year).
Mediolanum Bank. In January, net inflows amounted to €721 million (versus €863 million in January 2025), with assets under management amounting to €283 million (versus €487 million in January 2025) and assets under advisory services amounting to €437 million (versus €375 million). The composition and year-over-year comparison are influenced by the offering of remunerated liquidity and one-off items related to the early repayment of certain products.
Moncler. The Corriere della Sera Moncler has published an interview with Chairman Remo Ruffini. Regarding industry trends in 2026, the entrepreneur sees room for a moderate recovery. The new CEO, Bartolomeo Rongone, is considered the right manager to lead the group, with a specific focus on the United States, a key market where Moncler aims for further growth; in China, outdoor brands are growing. Ruffini is not considering selling the company, which he would like to leave to his children.
PrysmianCEO Massimo Battaini stated that 2026 has started well and that the group will benefit from geopolitical tensions thanks to the reshoring of production activities. Guidance will be provided with the 2025 results on February 26 (the current consensus of €2,725 billion in 2026 EBITDA appears reasonable, according to several analysts).
Stellantis. The stock closed down 25% on Friday, after announcing charges of approximately €22,2 billion this morning as part of a plan to scale back its electric vehicle ambitions. ACC, a joint venture between Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, and Total, has permanently halted its battery gigafactory project in Termoli.
STMicroelectronicsAmazon's strategic agreement with AWS for artificial intelligence products has been extended. The deal, as reported by Ansa, is "worth many billions of dollars." STM has issued warrants to Amazon Web Services to purchase up to 24,8 million common shares.
UnicreditRecord-breaking 2025 net profit of €10,6 billion (+14%). Last year's dividend was €3,15 per share. 2028 net profit guidance of €13 billion (+10% vs. consensus).
AnimaIt recorded negative asset management inflows of €175 million in January 2026. Total assets under management reached €212,7 billion, up 3,8% compared to the same period in 2025.
