Regional equities decline led by semiconductor losses amid valuation concerns and geopolitical risks driving crude higher.
Asian stocks traded lower Thursday, pressured by a sell-off in tech shares and rising Middle East tensions. Japan’s Nikkei 225 dropped 2.55% to 67,000, while South Korea’s KOSPI fell 6.43% to 6,820, reflecting broader semiconductor weakness. China’s SSE Composite lost 0.82% to 3,920.
The tech retreat follows skepticism over AI-driven valuations, mirroring losses in US chipmakers. Meanwhile, escalating US-Iran military actions pushed oil prices sharply higher, stoking inflation fears and clouding central bank policy outlooks.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng bucked the trend, rising 1.93% to 25,150, supported by softer US inflation data and sector-wide buying in financials and consumer stocks.