Asian stocks ended Wednesday's session broadly higher despite weak data from China and worries about the worsening Covid-19 situation in the country. Investors also awaited U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's speech later in the day for interest rate clues.
China's Shanghai Composite Index fluctuated before finishing marginally higher at 3,151.34 as hopes of China eventually reopening its economy offset disappointing factory and services sector data.
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Business News
May 08, 2026 15:50 ET Manufacturing and services sector survey results and labor market data from main economies were the highlight on the economics news front this week. Factory orders and jobs report dominated the news flow in the U.S. Similarly, industrial production data from German garnered attention in Europe. In Asia, purchasing managers’ survey results from China and the central bank decision from Australia were in focus.