Asian stocks ended mostly higher on Wednesday despite lingering worries about the Chinese economy and ahead the release of latest Fed meeting minutes later in the day.
Regional gains were capped by rising COVID-19 infections in China and a record interest rate hike by New Zealand. Trading volumes were somewhat thin amid a holiday in Japan.
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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.