Asian stocks ended Thursday's session on a mixed note, as fears of a global economic slowdown and uncertainty about the outlook for interest rates largely offset optimism over easing of strict Covid containment measures in China.
Markets also keenly awaited U.S. inflation data as well as the outcome of the Fed and ECB policy meetings next week for further clues on the direction of monetary policy.
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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.