Asian stocks ended mixed on Monday as the Russia-Ukraine war dragged on and investors awaited the outcome of the Federal Reserve's policy meeting this week for clues about further interest rate hikes and policy tightening for the rest of the year.
Chinese and Hong Kong markets succumbed to heavy selling pressure as the spreading new coronavirus outbreaks in China added to global uncertainty. Sentiment was also dented after data showed a sharp drop in February's new bank lending in China.
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Market Analysis
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.