FX.co ★ Asian Stocks Track Wall Street Lower

Asian stocks tumbled on Friday, tracking steep overnight declines on Wall Street, as mounting doubts over the durability of artificial intelligence–related investments sparked a broad selloff in technology shares. Semiconductor manufacturers, memory chip producers, and other AI-linked companies posted substantial losses, while investors rotated into perceived safe-haven assets such as government bonds and the yen. Market sentiment was further pressured by rising tensions in the Middle East, amid reports that the US and Israel have prepared plans for potential renewed strikes against Iran after next month’s midterm elections. Technology-heavy markets in Japan and South Korea led the regional downturn, with the Nikkei 225 and the KOSPI Composite each sliding nearly 2%.