Shares retreated Friday in Asia, with benchmarks in Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea falling more than 2% after Wall Street indexes fell sharply on doubts over the frenzy around artificial-intelligence technology. President Donald Trump's decision to push ahead with 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada and to double tariffs on Chinese products to 20% also left investors reeling. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index lost 3.4% to 36,939.89, pulled lower by plunging prices for shares in technology companies. Computer chip test equipment maker Advantest sank 9.4%, Disco Corp., another equipment maker, lost 11.1% and Tokyo Electron shed 5.3%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index lost 2.3% to 23,175.49, while the Shanghai Composite index lost 0.9% to 3,358.28. South Korea's Kospi gave up 3.2% to 2,538.07. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 shed 1.1% to 8,174.10. On Thursday, the S&P 500 sank 1.6% to 5,861.57 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.4% to 43,239.50. The Nasdaq composite tumbled
Chinese stocks have been on a tear in recent days, driven by DeepSeek's AI breakthrough
Asian shares traded mostly lower Thursday after a quiet day on Wall Street, where the S&P 500 added to its record. Worries about US President Donald Trump's tariff policies remain high on regional investors' minds. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 dropped 1.2% to finish at 38,678.04. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 declined 1.2% to 8,322.80, while South Korea's Kospi lost nearly 0.7% to 2,654.06. Hong Kong's Hang Seng dipped 1.3% to 22,640.18, after China left its benchmark interest rate unchanged, in a move it said was meant to maintain financial stability. The Shanghai Composite shed less than 0.1% to 3,349.60. The yuan has been under siege, with foreign-exchange outflows surging last month as Trump's tariff rhetoric sent shockwaves through markets, said Stephen Innes, managing partner at SPI Asset Management. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 rose 0.2% after setting an all-time high the day before. The Dow Jones Industrial Average picked up 71 points, or 0.2%, while the Nasdaq composite .
NEW YORK/SINGAPORE (Reuters) -Asian stocks wavered on Wednesday after the S&P 500 and European shares ended at record highs, in the face of U.S President Donald Trump's latest tariff threats on auto, semiconductor and pharmaceutical imports.
For now, investors were just relieved that major tariffs had not already been introduced and MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan firmed 0.3 per cent
Trump's plans to impose reciprocal tariffs on every country taxing US imports have stoked concerns of a global trade war
China's retaliatory tariffs on some US exports are due to take effect on Monday, with no sign as yet of progress between Beijing and Washington
Beijing's measured tit-for-tat response has left room for negotiations, analysts say, and that has allowed traders to focus on the AI theme in Asia
US Treasury yields were hovering near their lowest in over a month on Thursday, as investors pondered the outlook for rates in the world's largest economy
Trump slapped Canada and Mexico with duties of 25 per cent and China with a 10 per cent levy at the weekend, as he had threatened last month, calling the measures necessary
With markets in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan still closed for the Lunar New Year, the return of South Korea grabbed the spotlight in Asia
Trump's policies remain a risk for the Fed's policy outlook, and Saturday is likely to see new tariffs slapped on Canada, Mexico and possibly China as well
US Nasdaq Composite futures tumbled 1.8 per cent as of 0158 GMT and S&P 500 futures sank 0.9 per cent
Global fund managers overall expect less than 5 per cent return from Asia stocks (excluding Japan) in a year, according to BofA Securities
Asian stocks were mixed Wednesday followed Wall Street's mostly positive performance ahead of key US inflation data that could influence the pace of market-boosting rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. US futures and oil prices were little changed. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index edged 0.1% higher to 38,505.54. The Kospi rose 0.2% to 2,502.94 after South Korean law enforcement officials detained impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday in connection with his failed declaration of martial law last month. South Korea's unemployment rate reached 3.7% in December on a seasonally adjusted basis, the highest since June 2021, amid political uncertainty, the government reported. The Hang Seng in Hong Kong added 0.2% to 19,264.46 after media reported that President-elect Donald Trump's incoming economic team is discussing gradually ramping up tariffs in different phases. The Shanghai Composite shed 0.3% to 3,232.98. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 was flat at 8,233.10. On Tuesday, the S&P 500 rose
The impact of the jobs report on US rate cut prospects also raised the stakes for consumer price figures
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell 0.2 per cent, with Japan's Nikkei down 0.8 per cent
Washington Post reported on that Trump aides were exploring tariff plans that would be applied to every country but only cover certain sectors deemed critical to national or economic security
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was 0.33 per cent higher but on course for a nearly 1 per cent drop for the week
The start of the New Year was shaping up to be a less favourable one for equities, as uncertainty over the policies of incoming President Trump