European stocks are seen opening higher on Friday as the focus shifted from inflation to ongoing economic recovery.
Asian markets gave up some early gains to trade mixed as a survey showed Japan's factory activity expanded at a slower pace in May and activity in the service sector contracted at the fastest pace in nine months.
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Business News
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.