European stocks may open on a positive note Friday as investors await the all-important U.S. jobs report that could have a significant impact on the outlook for interest rates ahead of the Federal Reserve's monetary policy meeting next week.
Economists currently expect U.S. employment to increase by 180,000 jobs in November after an increase of 150,000 jobs in October. The unemployment rate is expected to hold at 3.9 percent.
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Market Analysis
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.