European stocks look set to open higher on Friday, though the upside may remain limited as investors await more U.S. data and bank earnings for directional cues.
As inflation and rate hike worries ease, investors will assess U.S. reports on retail sales, industrial production, import and export prices and consumer sentiment later in the day for additional clues about the economic outlook.
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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.