Asian stocks mostly moved sideways amid ongoing trade tariff uncertainties, with tech stocks, especially chipmakers like TSMC, awaiting earnings reports. Australian markets performed well on weak jobs data fueling expectations of rate cuts, while chipmakers faced pressure from industry warnings and US-China trade tensions.
Asian stocks fell on Thursday, led by steep declines in the technology sector, amid fears of persistent inflation and high interest rates. The tech-heavy indexes in Japan, Hong Kong, and South Korea dropped significantly as investors locked in recent profits from the AI-driven rally. Major chipmaking stocks like Japan's Advantest Corp. and South Korea's SK Hynix Inc. saw notable declines. Chinese stocks fell less due to promises of more policy support from the People's Bank of China. Broader Asian markets retreated in anticipation of key U.S. economic data and interest rate cues.