Asian stock markets mostly lower on Wednesday, following the mixed cues from global markets overnight, as data showing a bigger than expected increase in U.S. retail sales in September raised concerns the US Fed will keep interest rates higher for longer or even announce a rate hike this year. Higher bond yields and geopolitical concerns in the Middle East also kept investors cautious. Asian markets closed mostly higher on Tuesday.
Adding to the gains in the previous session, Australian shares are slightly higher on Wednesday, with the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 staying above the 7,000 mark, following the mixed cues from global markets overnight, with small gains in energy, mining and financial stocks nearly offset by weakness in technology stocks.
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April 24, 2026 15:15 ET Economics news flow was relatively light this week even as the conflict in the Middle East continued, raising concerns for policymakers. In the U.S., spending data, initial jobless claims and pending home sales were the highlights. Business confidence in the biggest euro area economy was in focus in Europe. Inflation data from Japan gained attention in Asia.