Bangkok, Jan 2 (AP) World markets began 2026 with gains, with benchmarks in Britain and South Korea hitting records as optimism over the future of artificial intelligence carried over into the new year.

In early European trading, the FTSE 100 in London jumped 1 per cent to an intraday record of 10,033.94. It was the first time the FTSE had surpassed 10,000, supported by heavy buying of precious metals miners such as Fresnillo, which gained 5.7 per cent, and Anglo American, which was up 1.5 per cent.

Miners have rallied due to recent gains in the prices of gold, silver and copper.

Germany's DAX added 0.5 per cent to 24,619.41, while the CAC 40 in Paris surged 0.8 per cent to 8,213.59.

The future for the S&P 500 was up 0.6 per cent while that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.2 per cent.

Expectations that AI will spur demand for computer chips and other items needed to build out data centers and the other infrastructure it requires boosted buying of tech-related shares.

South Korea's Kospi picked up 2.3 per cent to 4,309.63 as the market's biggest heavyweight, Samsung Electronics, shot up 7.2 per cent. SK Hynix, which makes computer chips used for AI and has partnered with Nvidia, gained 4 per cent.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng jumped 2.8 per cent to 26,338.47 on a strong rally in tech shares.

E-commerce giant Alibaba climbed 4.3 per cent and Baidu, maker of the Ernie chatbot, jumped 9.4 per cent after it said it plans to spin off its artificial intelligence computer chip unit Kunlunxin, which would list shares in Hong Kong early 2027. The plan is subject to regulatory approvals.

Markets were closed in Tokyo, Shanghai, Thailand and New Zealand.

The S&P/ASX 200 in Australia edged 0.2 per cent higher, to 8,727.30. Taiwan's Taiex was up 1.3 per cent and the Sensex in India added 0.6 per cent.

Recent manufacturing data for much of the region has been relatively weak, though trade has remained resilient.

“Exports from most countries have surged in recent months, and we think the near-term outlook for Asia's export-oriented manufacturing sectors remains favorable,” Shivaan Tandon of Capital Economics said in a report.

US stocks finished 2025 with a fourth day of losses, despite strong gains for the year. The S&P 500 gave up 0.7 per cent and the Dow fell 0.6 per cent. The Nasdaq composite closed 0.8 per cent lower.

The S&P 500 set 39 record highs in 2025 and closed 16.4 per cent higher for the year. The Nasdaq gained 20.4 per cent and the Dow finished 13 per cent higher.

Wall Street's 2025 gains came as investors embraced the optimism surrounding artificial intelligence and its potential for boosting profits across almost all sectors. But the market had no shortage of turbulence along the way amid President Donald Trump eventually put his on-again, off-again tariffs on imported goods worldwide on pause while negotiating trade deals, helping to calm frayed nerves.

Strong corporate profits and three cuts to interest rates by the Federal Reserve also helped drive markets higher.

Wall Street is betting that the Fed will hold interest rates steady at its next meeting in January.

In other dealings early Friday, silver gained 4.8 per cent after giving back 9.4 per cent on Wednesday. It gained more than 140 per cent in 2025.

Gold picked up 1.4 per cent. It closed out the year with a 63.7 per cent gain.

US benchmark crude handed back early gains, falling 12 cents to USD 57.30 per barrel. The price of Brent crude, the international standard, fell 13 cents to USD 60.72 per barrel.

The US dollar rose to 156.85 Japanese yen from 156.75 yen. The euro fell to USD 1.1733 from USD 1.1746. (AP) SKS SKS

Global markets rose on AI demand hopes, corporate spin offs pending regulatory approval, and steady monetary and trade signals. Global equity gains at the start of 2026 were driven by AI related demand expectations and sector concentration in tech and precious metals miners; corporate actions such as a proposed AI chip unit spin off depend on regulatory approvals, while trade policy pauses and prior interest rate cuts, alongside strong corporate profits, underpinned investor sentiment and influenced regional export oriented manufacturing.