Ahead of the long holiday weekend, the Japanese stock market ended the two-day slide in which it had tumbled more than 1,200 points or 2 percent. The Nikkei now sits just above the 59,510-point plateau and it may pick up steam on Thursday.
The global forecast for the Asian markets is positive on hopes for an end to hostilities in the Middle East. The European and U.S. markets were sharply higher and the Asian bourses are expected to follow that lead.
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May 01, 2026 15:54 ET Central banks dominated the economics news flow this week with almost all major ones announcing their latest policy decisions and many boosted expectations for a rate hike in June. In other news, several countries released the preliminary data for first quarter economic growth. In the U.S., comments by Fed Chair Jerome Powell were also in focus as his term ends this month.