Asian stocks ended mixed on Thursday as an unexpected dip by U.S. producer prices fueled hopes of Federal Reserve rate cuts and helped offset rising geopolitical tensions and widespread political turmoil in South Asia.
Federal Reserve policymakers look all but certain to reduce short-term borrowing costs by a quarter of a percentage point at their policy meeting next week, but a half-point cut might become a real possibility if U.S. core CPI data due later in the day underwhelms.
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Market Analysis
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.