Most Asian stock markets took a breather on Thursday as technology shares eased after recent gains, with investors digesting mixed mega-cap tech earnings on Wall Street and the Federal Reserve’s decision to keep rates unchanged.
Wall Street ended largely muted overnight, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq posting marginal moves after earnings from some of the world’s largest technology firms.
U.S. stock futures edged lower during Asian hours, signalling a softer open later in the day.
Mixed US tech earnings weigh on regional shares
Meta Platforms’ shares jumped in post-market trading after the company delivered an upbeat revenue outlook, reinforcing enthusiasm around AI-driven advertising tools. Tesla also beat expectations, offering some support to growth stocks.
In contrast, Microsoft’s shares slipped after its results highlighted rising costs linked to heavy AI investment, tempering broader sentiment toward the sector.
Asian technology stocks, which had surged in recent weeks on expectations of strong AI-related demand, fell from recent peaks.
South Korea’s KOSPI fell 0.3% after jumping to fresh record highs earlier in the session.
Heavyweight chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix posted strong earnings and outlooks on Thursday, sending their shares higher in early trade, but they retreated as investors locked in gains amid broader market weakness.
Asian stocks tick lower; traders assess Fed decision
The Federal Reserve’s policy decision remained a key focus for investors. The U.S. central bank on Wednesday held its benchmark interest rate steady, pausing after a series of cuts last year.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell said policymakers needed greater confidence that inflation was moving sustainably toward the 2% target before easing policy further, while noting that economic growth remained resilient.
Market pricing from CME’s FedWatch tool showed traders expect the Fed to keep rates on hold in the near term, but deliver two more cuts later this year.
Back in Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 index edged 0.2% lower, while the broader TOPIX eased 0.3%.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index ticked down 0.2% after surging over 2.5% in the previous session.
In mainland China, the blue-chip Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300, and the Shanghai Composite index were both muted.
Australia's S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.6%, while Singapore's Straits Times Index edged down 0.1%.
Futures for India's Nifty 50 also edged 0.1% lower.
Source: investing