European Shares Seen Mixed At Open

Group 1 - European stocks are expected to open mixed on the first trading day of 2026 following the New Year's Day holiday [1] - The Stoxx 600 index experienced a significant increase of 17 percent in the previous year, marking its largest annual gain since 2021, driven by resilient economic growth and anticipated higher fiscal spending in the region [2] - Tesla is set to report its fourth-quarter delivery figures after a strong performance in Q3 [2] Group 2 - Asian stocks showed mostly positive movement, although trading volumes were low due to holidays in Japan, China, and New Zealand [3] - The dollar started 2026 on a weak note, experiencing its sharpest decline in eight years [3] - Investors are anticipating two additional Federal Reserve rate cuts in 2026, with key economic data releases, including the U.S. payrolls report and jobless data, expected to provide further insights into the interest rate outlook [5] Group 3 - Oil prices increased on the first trading day of 2026 following the largest annual drop since 2020, with attention on an upcoming OPEC+ meeting and geopolitical concerns [5] - U.S. stocks ended lower for the fourth consecutive session, influenced by the Federal Reserve's December policy meeting minutes revealing divisions among policymakers regarding interest rate direction [6] - New claims for unemployment benefits fell during the holiday week but remained within a consistent range over the past months [6]