HomeMarketsGlobal Markets Watch: Nikkei Leads, SENSEX Trails

Global Markets Watch: Nikkei Leads, SENSEX Trails

Posted: 27 July 2026, 21:03 CET 2 min read

On July 27, 2026, six of nine major global indexes were up year-to-date; Japan’s Nikkei 225 led with a 29.0% gain while India’s BSE SENSEX was down 9.8%.

A nine-index global markets watchlist through July 27, 2026 shows six of the nine benchmarks trading higher year-to-date. Japan’s Nikkei 225 leads with a 29.0% gain while India’s BSE SENSEX trails, down 9.8%.

The list tracks the S&P 500 (United States), TSX (Canada), FTSE 100 (U.K.), DAXK (Germany), CAC 40 (France), Nikkei 225 (Japan), Shanghai Composite (China), Hang Seng (Hong Kong) and BSE SENSEX (India). Canada’s TSX is up 12.2% year-to-date and the U.K.’s FTSE 100 has gained 8.6%. China’s Shanghai Composite is down 2.8% for the year and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng is down 1.7%.

To place current levels in historical context, the watchlist includes a table showing each index’s current value, its all-time peak, the date of that peak and the percentage distance from the record. Visual charts compare performance from several start dates and use a logarithmic vertical axis to show relative percentage changes.

One chart uses the NBER recession start date of February 3, 2020 and indexes each market to 800 on a March 9, 2009 start point to compare performance from post-2008 lows to the latest weekly close. The low dates used in the comparison vary by market: S&P 500, TSX, CAC 40 and BSE SENSEX hit their lows on March 9, 2009; Nikkei 225 on March 10, 2009; DAXK on March 6, 2009; FTSE on March 3, 2009; Shanghai Composite on November 4, 2008; and Hang Seng on October 27, 2008. A separate chart begins on October 9, 2007 and a long-term chart starts at the turn of the century, with all series indexed at 800 for the starting date.

Examples of single-country exchange-traded funds cited for investors seeking standalone exposure include WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund (DXJ), WisdomTree Europe Hedged Equity Fund (HEDJ), KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF (KWEB), iShares MSCI India ETF (INDA), iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF (EWH), iShares MSCI Canada ETF (EWC) and SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY).

Technical note: the German benchmark used in the comparison is the DAXK, a price-only index, rather than the DAX which includes dividends. DAXK is presented on a price-only basis to align with the other indexes in the watchlist.