Asian stocks ended Thursday's session mostly lower as investors reacted to a mixed bag of corporate earnings from Japan and signs of growing deflationary pressures in China. The impasse over the U.S. debt ceiling overshadowed softer-than-expected U.S. inflation data.
A measure of Chinese consumer price inflation reached its lowest level in more than two years in April and factory gate deflation deepened, raising fresh worries about weak demand in the country.
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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.