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Asian stock markets declined sharply on Thursday as investors moved away from technology and semiconductor stocks following recent gains, while ongoing uncertainty surrounding the U.S.-Iran conflict dampened market sentiment across the region.
Regional equities followed Wall Street lower after U.S. markets retreated from record highs overnight. Investor caution increased amid concerns about escalating tensions in the Middle East, prompting profit-taking in high-growth sectors. S&P 500 Futures fell 0.4% in after-hours trading, while semiconductor stocks weakened significantly after Broadcom released mixed quarterly earnings results and maintained its current AI revenue outlook.
The negative reaction to Broadcom’s earnings weighed heavily on Asian technology shares, particularly in markets with strong semiconductor exposure. South Korea’s KOSPI was among the worst-performing indexes, pressured by declines in major chipmakers.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 dropped 1.9%, while the broader TOPIX index fell 1.4%. Market sentiment was affected by comments from Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda, who indicated that policymakers must carefully assess the possibility of future interest rate hikes as inflation risks continue to rise. Ueda highlighted concerns that higher energy prices linked to the Iran conflict could push inflation above the central bank’s target. Investors interpreted the remarks as a sign that tighter monetary policy could be discussed at the BOJ’s upcoming meeting.
Japanese technology stocks also faced selling pressure after a strong rally had recently pushed the Nikkei to record highs. SoftBank Group was among the biggest losers, plunging nearly 11%.
South Korea’s KOSPI slid as much as 2%, with Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix falling between 2% and 4% as traders locked in profits from recent record highs. The decline mirrored Broadcom’s sharp drop in U.S. after-hours trading.
Elsewhere, Australia’s ASX 200 fell 1.4%, Singapore’s Straits Times Index lost 1.2%, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index dropped 1.2%, led by weakness in technology shares. China’s Shanghai Composite and CSI 300 indexes posted more moderate losses, supported by continued strength in domestic semiconductor stocks driven by optimism surrounding artificial intelligence development and expectations of major index rebalancing.
Meanwhile, futures linked to India’s Nifty 50 remained largely unchanged after the benchmark recently touched its lowest level in nearly two months. Investors continue to closely monitor geopolitical developments, central bank signals, and semiconductor sector performance for clues on the direction of Asian markets in the coming weeks.
