S&P 500 — US Large Cap Index
FTSE 100 — UK Blue Chips
Euro Stoxx 50 — Eurozone Leaders
DAX 40 — German Equities
CAC 40 — French Market Index
Nikkei 225 — Japan Benchmark
Hang Seng — Hong Kong Index
Shanghai Composite — China Mainland
ASX 200 — Australian Market
TSX Composite — Canada Index
Nifty 50 — India Large Cap
STI Index — Singapore Market
KOSPI — South Korea Index
Bovespa — Brazil Equities
JSE Top 40 — South Africa Index
IPC Index — Mexico MarketThe Bank of Japan is weighing the “pros and cons” of raising interest rates at its December 18–19 meeting, Governor Kazuo Ueda said in a speech Monday. With U.S. tariff risks fading, he noted the central bank’s economic and price projections are increasingly likely to be met, suggesting conditions for a hike are forming. Ueda stressed the importance of wage-setting, saying the BoJ must assess whether firms’ active behavior will persist. Labour shortages, strong corporate profits, and calls to anchor wage gains add support, while policymakers are gathering wage data via firm surveys. He added that policymakers will examine domestic and global developments, market moves, and consider the merits of a hike. A weak yen could also lift inflation through higher import costs, Ueda noted. After ending a decade-long stimulus last year and raising rates to 0.5% in January, the BoJ has held steady, but persistently high inflation is bolstering expectations for another move.
