US Stocks Fall While Precious Metals Rise – Europe Market Wrap

In the final trading days of the year, stocks failed to gain momentum due to a lack of catalysts. Silver and gold have regained their footing following a drop from all-time highs.

Following two consecutive losses, the S&P 500 was expected to fall slightly. European stocks did well as metal prices rose, boosting miners, while an Asian market index fell.

In a significant breakthrough in currency markets, China’s onshore yuan rose beyond the important 7-per-Dollar barrier for the first time since 2023. Meanwhile, the Dollar continued to have its worst month since August.

Many equity markets, including Germany, Japan, and South Korea, will close their trading sessions for the year on Tuesday. Investors will also be looking for the release of minutes from the Fed’s December meeting, where officials announced a third consecutive interest rate decrease and maintained their forecast for only one reduction in 2026.

Elsewhere in the market, oil rose as traders evaluated geopolitical threats ranging from Venezuela to Russia and Iran against global surplus fears. US Treasuries remained mostly unchanged, with the 10-year yield at 4.11%.