European Stocks Start 2026 at Record High; UK FTSE Tops 10,000

European stocks began the new year at all-time highs, benefiting from optimism around economic growth, while miners were boosted by higher commodity prices.

The Stoxx Europe 600 was up 0.7% at the close. Autos and tech stocks were among the biggest outperformers, while real estate and media shares lagged. The blue-chip Euro Stoxx 50 closed at a record high, while the UK’s FTSE 100 surpassed 10,000 points for the first time ever, after wrapping up its best year since 2009.