European stocks may open flat to slightly lower on Thursday, as Treasury yields gained amid signs that the Federal Reserve would stick to hiking interest rates by 50 basis points in June and July to combat inflation.
The safe-haven dollar hovered near a one-month low as the latest FOMC meeting minutes offered few surprises, with many officials advocating the use of both interest rate increases and reductions in the size of the Fed's balance sheet to achieve a neutral posture.
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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.