Asian stock markets are trading mostly lower on Friday, following the lack of cues from Wall Street and despite the positive cues from European markets overnight, as traders react to a slew of economic data from Japan and manufacturing data from South Korea. The developments in the Middle East are also hurting market sentiment. Asian markets ended mixed on Thursday.
The Australian stock market is modestly lower on Friday, giving up some of the gains in the previous two sessions, following the lack of cues from Wall Street and despite the positive cues from European markets overnight. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 is falling to near the 8,400 level, with weakness across most sectors led by mining and financial stocks.
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Business News
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.