Asian stock markets are trading mostly lower on Friday, ignoring the positive cues overnight from Wall Street, as lingering worries over rising spread of the delta variant of the coronavirus in several parts across the world rendered the mood cautious. The markets are supported mainly by crude oil prices as they continue to recover from the recent selling-off. Asian markets ended mostly higher on Thursday.
Australian stock market is slightly higher after early losses on Friday, extending the gains in the previous two sessions, with the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 staying just below the 7,400 level, following the positive cues overnight from Wall Street. Traders also remain concerned amid the rapid spread of the highly contagious coronavirus variants in four states and some regional areas, with lockdowns in three of the country's major cities limiting economic activity.
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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.