Asian Stocks

Concerns about negative cash ​flow and the sheer scale of AI capex saw the cost of insuring against corporate defaults ​blow out last week

A Democratic sweep of both chambers of Congress would likely bring greater scrutiny of the AI industry and data-center buildout

Asians shares were trading mixed early Friday, as worries about the future of artificial intelligence grew after Alphabet's stock drop dragged on US markets. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 dropped 2.6 per cent to 62,960.60. The Bank of Japan is closing a two-day monetary policy board meeting, but most analysts expect no action this time around after the central bank raised its benchmark rate to 1.25 per cent last month. The US has also been pressuring Japan to raise rates because of concerns about the weakening yen. In currency trading, the U.S. dollar fell to 157.50 Japanese yen from 157.65 yen. The euro cost USD 1.1197, up from USD 1.1181. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.5 per cent to 8,937.60. South Korea's Kospi declined 5.4 per cent to 5,618.76, as shares in SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics both slipped in morning trading. Shares related to the great market interest in AI have tended to be volatile, because some issues, including chip makers, get pushed up because of that ...

Alphabet's 10% after-hours slide wiped nearly $400 billion off its market value, while Samsung fell over 4% despite record profit as investors await results from Amazon and Intel

Japan's Nikkei dipped 0.8%, after losing 4.0% last week, while South Korea fell 0.4%, having shed almost 19% so far this month

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares excluding Japan fell 0.3% on Friday, bringing its weekly loss to 2.7% and marking a fourth straight week in the red

MSCI's Asia-Pacific index outside Japan fell 0.2%, while South Korean shares dropped over 1%. Concerns over AI spending and Gulf tensions offset stronger-than-expected US technology earnings

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was up 1.5%, led by ​a 4% gain for Korean shares, while Japan's Nikkei 225 climbed 1.3%

A fall in oil prices offered some support to bonds and Wall ​Street stock futures, limiting Asia's losses

Japan's Nikkei and South Korea's KOSPI recover after steep losses as concerns over AI financing weigh on sentiment, while MSCI's move to downgrade Indonesia's market status triggers a sharp sell-off

South Korea's Kospi led losses across Asia, while the Nikkei fell 4.8%, as hotter-than-expected US inflation weighed on rate-cut hopes and renewed pressure on technology and AI-linked stocks

Among ​firms in the AI supply chain, chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix rose more than 2% in ‌South Korea while Kioxia was steady in Japan

In stocks, MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell 2% in early trading, with tech-heavy South Korea's KOSPI sliding 6%

South Korean stocks fell 1.1%, while MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was little changed

Asian equities came under pressure as rising oil prices pushed up bond yields, while plans by SpaceX, Broadcom, and Oracle to raise billions added to funding concerns

In Asia, ​MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares excluding Japan was down 0.3% after US stocks ended ​higher. The index is up 1.5% so far this month

The euro languished ​near 17-month lows after briefly touching $1.116 overnight, pressured by mounting fiscal concerns in France

Bond markets were again the centre of volatility overnight, ​with the benchmark 10-year US Treasury yields hitting the highest since 2002 at 5.34% after capping the ​biggest quarterly rise in 32 years

Japan's Nikkei jumped 2.4 per cent in early trade, while South Korea and Hong Kong also gained as investors favoured chip and AI-related stocks

Asian shares were trading mixed Monday after a cooldown in oil prices last week helped US stocks close out their first winning week in the last three. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 was little changed, inching down less than 0.1% to 66,333.53. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 added 0.3% to 8,688.60. South Korea's Kospi dipped 2.3% to 6,916.30. Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.7% to 24,684.09, while the Shanghai Composite lost 1.7% to 3,820.82. In energy trading, benchmark US crude gained 1% to $93.33 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, rose 1.8% to $106.19 a barrel. Last week, Brent oil had momentarily dropped to $97-levels. The price is volatile because of uncertainty about when the war with Iran will allow oil to flow freely again from the Middle East, including access to the Strait of Hormuz. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 added 0.5% to break a three-day losing streak marked by big swings due to rising yields in the bond market. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 478 ...