Asian Stocks Slide as Semiconductor Selloff Weighs on South Korea and Japan

Asian stock markets retreated on Thursday, led by sharp declines in South Korea and Japan as renewed selling in semiconductor stocks erased part of the previous session's AI-driven gains. Investors turned cautious after weakness in U.S. technology shares raised concerns about lofty valuations across the chip sector.

The selloff followed a weaker overnight session on Wall Street, where the Nasdaq ended its winning streak. Chipmakers came under pressure after earnings-related reactions disappointed investors. Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) dropped despite reporting better-than-expected quarterly results, while concerns over rising AI-related spending also weighed on market sentiment.

South Korea recorded the region's steepest losses, with the KOSPI falling more than 4%. SK Hynix plunged over 8%, Samsung Electronics lost more than 5%, and LG Innotek also declined sharply as investors reacted to overnight losses in U.S. memory-chip companies Sandisk and Western Digital.

Japan's Nikkei 225 slipped about 1.2%, while the broader TOPIX index posted a smaller decline. Kioxia Holdings fell nearly 9%, with Murata Manufacturing and TDK also suffering heavy losses. Sony was among the few bright spots, rising almost 2% amid the broader market weakness.

Chinese equities proved more resilient despite the regional downturn. The CSI 300 edged lower by around 0.5%, while the Shanghai Composite posted only a modest decline. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell close to 2%, pressured mainly by insurance stocks after reports that Chinese authorities had begun enforcing taxes on investment income from offshore insurance policies. Shares of AIA Group, Prudential, and FWD Group all posted significant losses.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 eased after reaching a record high in the previous session, as investors locked in profits despite stronger-than-expected trade data. India's Nifty 50 traded little changed after the Reserve Bank of India kept its benchmark repo rate unchanged at 5.25%, while Singapore's Straits Times Index also edged lower.

Oil prices remained stable near $79 per barrel as markets monitored reports of possible progress in U.S.-Iran negotiations over the Strait of Hormuz. Investors are now focusing on SoftBank's earnings release and the upcoming U.S. nonfarm payrolls report, both of which could shape expectations for interest rates and the outlook for global technology stocks.