Asian stock markets are mostly higher on Friday, despite the broadly negative cues overnight from Wall Street, with support from higher crude oil prices and as traders are picking up stocks at a bargain after the recent sell-off. Meanwhile, traders remain cautious amid the rapid spread of the coronavirus Omicron variant in most countries. Asian markets ended sharply lower on Thursday.
The Australian stock market is sharply higher on Friday, recouping some of the sharp losses in the previous two sessions, with the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 just below the 7,500 level, despite the broadly negative cues overnight from Wall Street, led by gains across most sectors as traders bought stocks at a bargain after recent sell-off.
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Market Analysis
April 24, 2026 15:15 ET Economics news flow was relatively light this week even as the conflict in the Middle East continued, raising concerns for policymakers. In the U.S., spending data, initial jobless claims and pending home sales were the highlights. Business confidence in the biggest euro area economy was in focus in Europe. Inflation data from Japan gained attention in Asia.