Asian stock markets are trading mixed on Monday, following the broadly positive cues from Wall Street on Friday, as traders are cautiously optimistic ahead of the monetary policy meetings of the US Fed, the European Central Bank and the Bank of Japan later in the week. A surge in initial jobless claims in the U.S. has bolstered hopes that the Fed will pause its rate hikes. Asian markets closed mostly higher on Friday.
Key US inflation reports are also likely to be in the spotlight next week, as the data could have a significant impact on the outlook for interest rates.
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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.