Nikkei tops global indexes YTD; SENSEX trails

Through the weekly close on May 11, 2026, Japan’s Nikkei 225 led a nine-index global watchlist with a 24.0% year-to-date gain. Six of the nine tracked indexes were in positive territory. The S&P 500 was up 8.3% and Canada’s TSX rose 7.7%. India’s BSE SENSEX was the weakest, down 10.8% for the year. Germany’s DAXK fell 2.6% and France’s CAC 40 declined 1.1%. The FTSE 100, Shanghai Composite and Hang Seng recorded gains.

The watchlist covers the S&P 500 (United States), TSX (Canada), FTSE 100 (United Kingdom), DAXK (Germany), CAC 40 (France), Nikkei 225 (Japan), Shanghai Composite (China), Hang Seng (Hong Kong) and BSE SENSEX (India). Germany is represented by the DAXK price-only index rather than the dividend-inclusive DAX to maintain consistency with indexes that do not include dividends.

Each index’s current level was compared with its all-time closing high and the date of that high to show how far markets remain from record levels. The dataset uses the weekly close on May 11, 2026 for the current values and records the dates of historical highs and lows for each market.

Analysts prepared several time-series charts to show market paths from different start dates. One chart begins on the U.S. recession start date of February 3, 2020. Another aligns markets to a common low on March 9, 2009 and indexes each market at 800 on that date for direct relative-performance comparison. A third chart starts on October 9, 2007 and a longer-term view begins at the turn of the century.

The dataset records historical low dates for earlier downturns: the S&P 500, TSX, CAC 40 and BSE SENSEX hit lows on March 9, 2009; the Nikkei 225 hit its low on March 10, 2009; the DAXK on March 6, 2009; the FTSE 100 on March 3, 2009; the Shanghai Composite on November 4, 2008; and the Hang Seng on October 27, 2008. Those dates were aligned in the indexed charts to facilitate direct comparison of recoveries and subsequent performance across markets.

For investors seeking single-country exposure, the report lists exchange-traded funds tied to individual markets, including 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).

The figures and charts reflect each market’s performance through the May 11, 2026 weekly close and show relative positions of the tracked indexes versus their historical peaks.