Asia stocks crumble after AI rout rocks US markets

Asia Stocks Plunge After US AI Sell-off and Regulatory Jitters Hit Markets

Market Turmoil in Asia Following US AI Sell-off

SINGAPORE, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Asia's tech-heavy markets sank on Friday as fear of increased regulatory scrutiny and a slowdown in AI build-out unleashed the steepest fall in US stocks since the tariff-triggered "Liberation Day" rout a year and a half ago.

Major Indexes Experience Sharp Declines

South Korea's KOSPI plunged more than 8%, triggering exchange circuit breakers for a 20 minute trading halt while Japan's Nikkei was down 5%.

Wall Street Volatility Spills Over

Wall Street's volatility "fear gauge" soared, the Nasdaq sank 5.5% and $3 trillion was wiped off S&P 500 companies, with investors worried Democrats, who swept to power at the midterm elections this week, will apply the brakes to the AI boom.

Political and Regulatory Concerns Impact Sentiment

The political jitters are hitting an AI trade already on shaky footing due to worries about the return on investment for the enormous sums of money being poured into the technology.

Market participants see Asia's chipmakers and data centre equipment suppliers in South Korea, Taiwan and Japan as especially vulnerable and they had already tumbled on Wednesday and Thursday.

Expert Insights on Market Shifts

"It's pretty clear there's been a real shift in sentiment," said Michael McCarthy, chief executive for Australia and New Zealand at online brokerage Moomoo.

"Market turning points are often accompanied by strong disagreement, and that shows up in the market by huge swings in either direction," he said. "That's what we appear to have had — and last night's emphatic sell-down suggests that is the direction that we're now headed in."

Local Opposition and Infrastructure Concerns

The selling indicates investors are starting to factor in increased local opposition to building data centres, with analysts saying markets have yet to fully consider the cost such building has imposed on communities.

Broader Market and Currency Movements

The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index slumped 12.2% overnight and the Nasdaq, which reversed an initial swing higher after the midterms before dropping, has now shed 12% from its record high close a month ago.

Bonds were poised to gain in Asia, while the US dollar slipped against haven currencies such as the yen and Swiss franc.

Outlook for Bonds and Semiconductors

"Treasuries can probably rally a lot further," said Nick Ferres, chief investment officer at Vantage Point Asset Management in Singapore. "And I suspect it will be an ugly day for semiconductor and memory (stocks)."

(Reporting by Tom Westbrook and Ankur Banerjee; Editing by Sam Holmes and Christopher Cushing)