Asian stocks ended broadly higher on Monday despite hawkish comments from ECB and Fed officials and rising geopolitical tensions after North Korea launched two ballistic missiles into waters off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula early in the day.
Amid worries that more interest-rate hikes will depress economic activity, investors awaited minutes from the U.S. Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) this week for fresh insights into Fed officials' thinking on the pace of rate increases.
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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.