The China stock market has finished higher in four straight sessions, gathering almost 50 points or 1.5 percent along the way. The Shanghai Composite Index now rests just beneath the 3,390-point plateau and it may extend its gains on Thursday.
The global forecast for the Asian markets is cautiously optimistic following the release of the latest batch of FOMC minutes, plus another bump in crude oil prices. The European and U.S. markets were slightly higher and the Asian markets are expected to follow suit.
The SCI finished slightly higher on Wednesday following gains from the financials and a mixed bag from the property sector.
For the day, the index gathered 5.30 points or 0.16 percent to finish at 3,388.28 after trading between 3,358.80 and 3,395.78. The Shenzhen Composite Index dipped 3.71 points or 0.18 percent to end at 2,026.47.
Among the actives, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China climbed 0.98 percent, while Bank of China collected 0.72 percent, Agricultural Bank of China jumped 1.59 percent, Vanke advanced 1.05 percent, Gemdale eased 0.09 percent, China Petroleum and Chemical (Sinopec) added 0.17 percent, China Life collected 0.73 percent and PetroChina was unchanged.
The lead from Wall Street offers marginal support as stocks turned in a lackluster performance on Wednesday but ended modestly higher - allowing the major averages to hit new record closing highs.
The Dow edged up 42.21 points or 0.18 percent to 22,872.89, while the NASDAQ rose 16.30 points or 0.25 percent to 6,603.55 and the S&P 500 crept up 4.60 points or 0.18 percent to 2,555.24.
The minutes of the Fed's September meeting said many participants expressed concern that the low inflation readings this year might reflect not only transitory factors but also the influence of developments that could prove more persistent.
The Fed subsequently said many participants thought that another increase in interest rates later this year is likely to be warranted if the medium-term outlook remained broadly unchanged.
Crude oil prices rose Wednesday after the Energy Information Administration said U.S. crude oil production in 2018 to rise more than expected. November West Texas Intermediate crude rose 38 cents or 0.8 percent to $51.30 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, a third day of gains.
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April 17, 2026 15:29 ET The ongoing conflict in the Middle East continues to raise concerns for policymakers who worry about the impact of the supply shock and high energy prices on the real economy. Producer price data and various survey results on the housing market were the main news from the U.S. this week. In Europe, industrial production data for the euro area gained attention. GDP figures out of China and the policy move by the Singapore central bank were in focus in Asia.