NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stock markets made hesitant gains Tuesday, after returning from a 3-day holiday weekend to mark President's Day. Global stock markets delivered a mixed performance with some Asian, UK, and European benchmarks showing resilience amid varied regional economic data.

Wall Street
U.S. indices closed marginally higher, extending their recent rally. The Standard and Poor's 500 added 7.05 points to finish at 6,843.22, a gain of 0.10 percent.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 32.26 points, closing at 49,533.19, an increase of 0.07 percent.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite outperformed slightly, climbing 31.71 points to 22,578.38, a rise of 0.14 percent.

FOREX: U.S. Dollar Mixed in Cautious Trade; Sterling Slides

The U.S. dollar presented a mixed picture against major counterparts in foreign exchange trading on Tuesday, with market participants digesting the latest economic signals and central bank policy expectations.

The common currency was flat, with the euro buying 1.1851 dollars, a change of 0.00 percent.

The British pound was the biggest mover, sliding sharply against the greenback. Sterling was last quoted at 1.3561 dollars, representing a decline of 0.47 percent.

Against the Japanese yen, the dollar softened, trading at 153.24 yen, a decrease of 0.18 percent.

The dollar posted marginal gains elsewhere. The U.S. dollar rose against the Canadian dollar, buying 1.3639, a gain of 0.04 percent. The Swiss franc also weakened slightly, with the dollar buying 0.7700 francs, an increase of 0.09 percent.

Commodity-linked currencies outperformed the greenback. The Australian dollar climbed to 0.7081 U.S. dollars, a rise of 0.14 percent, while the New Zealand dollar strengthened further, buying 0.6048 US dollars, a gain of 0.26 percent.

European and UK stocks move solidly higher, Canada dips, Asia mixed

Canada
In Canada, the S&P/TSX Composite index slipped, losing 177.16 points to settle at 32,896.55, a decline of 0.54 percent.  

UK - London's FTSE 100 advanced 82.48 points to 10,556.17, up 0.79 percent.

Europe
European markets closed firmly in positive territory. Germany's DAX climbed 197.49 points to 24,998.40, a gain of 0.80 percent, while France's CAC 40 rose 44.96 points to 8,361.46, an increase of 0.54 percent.

The pan-European EURO STOXX 50 Index added 42.97 points to finish at 6,021.85, up 0.72 percent. The Euronext 100 Index gained 8.71 points to 1,796.65, a rise of 0.49 percent. Belgium's BEL 20 advanced 45.03 points to 5,644.03, climbing 0.80 percent.

Asia-Pacific
Asian markets showed a mixed picture. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose 138.82 points to 26,705.94, a gain of 0.52 percent. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 added 21.80 points to close at 8,958.90, up 0.24 percent, while the broader All Ordinaries index advanced 18.70 points to 9,182.50, a rise of 0.20 percent.

India's S&P BSE Sensex gained 173.81 points to 83,450.96, an increase of 0.21 percent. Malaysia's FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI edged up 1.72 points to 1,741.26, a gain of 0.10 percent. Israel's TA-125 index added 3.59 points to 4,168.12, up 0.09 percent.

Taiwan's TWSE Capitalization Weighted Stock Index was the standout performer, surging 532.71 points to 33,605.71, a robust gain of 1.61 percent.

However, several regional benchmarks faced headwinds. Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 239.92 points to 56,566.49, a decline of 0.42 percent. South Korea's KOSPI Composite Index dropped 15.26 points to 5,507.01, down 0.28 percent. China's SSE Composite Index lost 51.95 points to 4,082.07, a decrease of 1.26 percent.

Indonesia's IDX Composite fell 53.08 points to 8,212.27, a loss of 0.64 percent, while New Zealand's S&P/NZX 50 Index declined 86.29 points to 13,031.62, down 0.66 percent. Singapore's STI Index was virtually flat, adding just 0.80 points to 4,938.58, a marginal gain of 0.02 percent.

Other Markets
Elsewhere, Egypt's EGX 30 Price Return Index climbed 340.30 points to 51,833.80, up 0.66 percent. South Africa's Top 40 USD Net TRI Index fell sharply, losing 152.50 points to 7,435.81, a decline of 2.01 percent.

(This report incorporates quotes retrieved with the assistance of artificial intelligence).

Related story:

Friday 13 February 2026 | Cooler inflation fails to set Wall Street on fire, stocks directionless | Big News Network