Asian Markets Struggle Amid Global Tech Selloff and AI Concerns

Impact of Tech Selloff on Asian Markets

By Stella Qiu

Performance of Major Indices

SYDNEY, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Asian stocks faltered as concerns about the exploding costs of AI investment hounded the tech sector, though Wall Street futures were trying to make a comeback as chip providers gained.

Investor Sentiment and Sector Rotation

Google parent Alphabet reported solid results after the bell, but it was targeting capital expenditure of $175 billion to $185 billion this year, sharply above analysts' estimates. Shares swung wildly - down over 6% at one point -before settling just 0.4% lower after-hours.

Currency Movements Ahead of Elections

Investors have been rotating out of technology giants and into cyclical stocks amid fears of AI disruptions to jobs. The recent selloff, triggered by a new legal tool from Anthropic's Claude large language model, has wiped out about $830 billion in market value since January 28.

Disappointing earnings results from Advanced Micro Devices didn't help either, with the chipmaker tumbling 17% overnight.

"That increase in (Alphabet) capex was absolutely enormous," said Tony Sycamore, analyst at IG.

"At a time when everyone is hyper-sensitive and hyper-nervous about what's going on with the software companies, with what's going on with CAPEX and AI valuations... I would have thought the reaction would be quite negative, but it's not flowing through to the Nasdaq futures."

The demand for more equipment spending helped chip giant Nvidia rally almost 2% after the bell, partially reversing a 3.4% tumble overnight. That likely lifted Nasdaq futures 0.6% and S&P 500 0.4%.

Still, MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan skidded 1%. South Korea's KOSPI tumbled 1.7% and Taiwanese shares lost 0.7%

Japan's Nikkei was flat.

Chinese blue chips lost 0.7%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index slid 0.8%.

Much attention is on Amazon's results later in the day, as well as policy meetings from the Bank of England and the European Central Bank where rates are expected to be on hold.

YEN WEAK AHEAD OF JAPAN ELECTION

The Japanese yen nursed a fourth straight day of losses ahead of a general election on Sunday where polls are tipping a decisive victory for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, endorsing her spending ambitions that have raised concerns about the nation's strained finances.

The dollar was steady at 156.93 yen, having rallied 3% from its low of 152.1 yen when chatter that the New York Federal Reserve conducted rate checks sent the Japanese currency flying high.

In the Treasuries market, the benchmark 10-year yield was flat at 4.2715%. The U.S. nonfarm payrolls report for January has been pushed back from its scheduled release on Friday to February 11 due to a four-day partial government shutdown that has now ended.

Oil prices fell on Thursday after two straight days of gains as the U.S. and Iran agreed to hold talks in Oman on Friday, despite differences about the agenda. [O/R]

U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude fell 1.4% to $64.23 per barrel, while Brent crude futures also dropped 1.4% to $68.47 per barrel.

Gold and silver prices were up a little in early trade after an epic implosion last Friday that saw the two plunging from lofty record highs.

Gold rose 0.3% to $4,976 an ounce while silver inched up 0.2% to $88.20 an ounce.

(Editing by Shri Navaratnam)