Asian stock markets are trading mixed on Friday, following the mixed cues from Wall Street overnight, as the rate cut announcements by the European Central Bank and the Bank of Canada raised expectations of an interest rate cut by the US Fed in September, which could stimulate economic activity. The ECB has cut interest rate for the first time since September 2019. Asian markets ended mostly higher on Thursday.
Traders also remained cautious and stuck to the sidelines ahead the release of closely watched monthly jobs report later in the day, which could have a significant impact on the outlook for interest rates.
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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.