Asian stock markets are trading mostly lower on Thursday, following the broadly negative cues overnight from Wall Street, as traders reacted to rising commodity prices and the US Fed's minutes that show most officials believe it will be appropriate to begin tapering asset purchases this year.
Traders also remain spooked amid the rapid spread of the delta variant of the coronavirus in the region and in several countries. Asian markets closed mostly higher on Wednesday.
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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.