For this first trading day of 2026, the European stock markets are expected to open on an upward trend.

The engineering group for the oil industry Technip Energies announced on Friday that it had completed the acquisition of the division Advanced Materials & Catalysts (AM&C) by Ecovyst, which includes advanced materials and catalyst activities of the American company.

The final manufacturing PMI index for France for December will be published this Friday.

Passenger car registrations new cars in France fell by 5.8% over one year in December and fell by 5% for the whole of 2025, based on adjusted data for working days, announced Thursday The Automotive Platform (PFA), which brings together the sector in France.

Around 7:40 a.m., the CAC 40 futures contract won 0.4%, according to data from the broker IG.

Futures contracts on the stock markets European stock exchanges were mixed at the start of trading in 2026.

According to data from the IG broker, around 7:40, the DAX 40 futures contract in Frankfurt was up 0.2%, just like that on the FTSE 100 in London.

Although many expect a faster pace Moderate growth that in 2025, investors hope for a new year of gains on the equity markets in 2026.

Industry PMI data is expected on Friday manufacturer in Europe.

In the United States, before the January 1 truce, the On Wednesday, the New York Stock Exchange ended a year rich in records on a more cautious note, while the Federal Reserve (Fed) seems hesitant to continue to cut rates next year. The Dow Jones Index closed in fell 0.6% to 48,063.29 points, and the S&P 500 fell 0.7% to 6,845.50 dots. The Nasdaq Composite, rich in technological stocks, fell by 0.8%, to 23,241.99 points.
In Asia, the Tokyo Stock Exchange is closed this Friday, as is that of Shanghai. On the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, the Hang Seng rose 2.7%.

On average, markets expect declines in Fed rate of around 60 basis points (0.60 percentage points) in 2026 and none in 2027, according to Lloyd Chan of MUFG Bank. For the currency analyst main, this leaves room for a more accommodating revaluation if the employment conditions in the United States are further deteriorating. Lee Hardman from MUFG Bank also sees the possibility of further dollar weakness.

The latter also indicates that “the yield differentials between the United States and other major economies are expected to continue to shrink as the Federal Reserve falls higher its rates, while the other G10 central banks already have reached the end of their easing cycles.”

Around 7:40am, the euro was stable at 1.1745 dollars. The The greenback gained 0.2% against the Japanese currency, at 156.99 yen.

Oil prices could continue above $50 per barrel for this year, but staying close to their lowest level in five years, according to Louis Navellier, director of investments by Navellier & Associates. The Wall Street Journal did state of an increase in oil stored at sea in oil tankers, which should keep prices low until demand resumes in spring, according to Louis Navellier.

The February contract on Soft light crude (WTI) listed on Nymex rose by 0.8% to 57.86 dollars per barrel. Around 7:40 a.m., the March contract on North Sea Brent listed in London gained 0.7% to $61.29 per barrel