Dow Jones breaks through 25,000 barrier while TOPIX hits 26-year high

Strong start to the year for global equity markets

The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed to an all-time high today (4 January) after pushing through the 25,000 mark for the first time.

In early morning trading in the US, the Dow was at 25,056, slightly down from a high of 25,073, climbing more than 20% from the same date last year when it sat at 19,942. Only five weeks ago it closed above 24,000 points for the first time. The rise comes after the S&P 500 crossed the 2,700 points mark for the first time yesterday, with US markets buoyed by news President Trump finally managed to pass his sweeping tax cuts at the end of last year. Global stockmarkets have had a strong start to 2018, with Japan's TOPIX index hitting a 26-year high this morning on the back of strong man...