European stocks are expected to open muted as markets digest the ECB's commentary a day ago. On Thursday, the European Central Bank said it would slow down on bond purchases under the 1.85 trillion-euro Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme (PEPP). Last two quarters had witnessed monthly volumes of almost 80 billion euros on the bond purchase.
Overnight, the U.S. benchmarks had closed weak as traders weighed in delta virus-impacted growth concerns as well as a lower jobless claims reading. Nasdaq-100 closed at 15,561.05, around 0.38 percent lower than the previous close whereas Dow Jones Industrial Average ended at 34,879.38, down from the earlier close by 0.43 percent.
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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.