European stocks are seen opening broadly higher on Wednesday as unexpectedly weak December U.S. retail sales data prompted traders to price in a further two rate cuts of 25 basis points from the Federal Reserve this year.
With Federal Reserve officials signaling patience on rate cuts, the focus now shifts to the delayed jobs report later in the day and the CPI report on Friday. Inflation and job creation are expected to hold steady, but revisions to the 2025 jobs numbers are expected to be large.
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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.