Gold Prices Hover Near Three-Month High as Oil, Treasury Yields Fall 
Norway Backs Barents Sea Oil and Gas Expansion 
U.S. Unleashes New Iran Sanctions, Targets Oil, Crypto and Trade Networks 
US PCE Inflation Holds at 3.7% as Fed Rate Decision Looms 
Asian Energy Stocks Slide as Iran-Oman Hormuz Talks Pressure Oil Prices 
Oil Prices Edge Higher as US-Iran Sanctions Fuel Supply Concerns 
Qatar LNG Exports Plunge 96% as U.S.-Iran War Disrupts Gulf Energy Trade 
China EV Stocks Slide as Door Handle Recall Hits 4.3 Million Vehicles 
Asian Stocks Slide as Samsung, Alibaba Lead Tech Selloff 
Dollar Hovers Near Multi-Month Lows as Treasury Buybacks Rattle Markets 
Asian Stocks Slip Ahead of Nvidia Earnings and US Inflation Data 
UK Economy Shows Strength as Burnham Gets Early Boost 
ECB Rate Hike Bets Rise as Inflation Risks Persist 
Unitree Shares Plunge 45% After Blockbuster IPO, Raising China Tech Bubble Fears 
Europe EV Sales Surge as High Fuel Prices Drive Demand 
US-Canada Tariff War Escalates With 50% Auto Duties 
Asian Stocks Rebound as Oil Prices Fall, Nvidia Earnings in Focus 
Add as a preferred source on Google
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.
