Global equity returns: Japan top performer in 2026 so far with 36.8% return; know where India ranks
Welcome to TrendMap, your visual guide to investment performance. This edition tracks 10 years of global equity returns. Currency fluctuations impact the returns on foreign investments. To capture the real value from an Indian investor’s standpoin...
The US market sustained its strong momentum, aided by resilient earnings growth and continued enthusiasm for artificial intelligence and technology-led businesses.
Global equity markets saw a broad rotation of capital in 2026, with Japan emerging as the top performer. Strong gains were driven by improving corporate profitability, ongoing shareholder-friendly reforms, and a weak currency that benefited exporters. Brazil followed, supported by strength in commodity sectors and renewed investor interest in emerging markets. The US market sustained its strong momentum, aided by resilient earnings growth and continued enthusiasm for artificial intelligence and technology-led businesses. In contrast, European markets posted relatively modest returns amid weaker growth dynamics.
India ranked as the weakest performer in the comparison set, with underperformance stemming from slower earnings growth, and cautious foreign investor sentiment. Over the past decade, the US has remained the best-performing market, followed by Japan, reflecting the dominance of innovation-driven sectors.
Source: Bloomberg. *2026 returns are YTD based on 23 June 2026 closing values. Other years' returns are calculated between the first and the last trading day closing values. Returns are normalised to the Indian rupee. The 10-year return is the compounded average return.
