Shares fall in Asia, with Kospi down 5.2%, while oil prices jump

Shares in Asia experienced a decline on Wednesday following a further retreat of Wall Street from its all-time high as artificial-intelligence stocks continued their downward trend. The South Korean Kospi index led the regional drop, falling 5.2% to 6,515.97. Major companies that benefited from the AI boom also saw losses, with Samsung Electronics down 6.9% and SK Hynix falling 7.9%.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 index decreased by 2.6% to 65,703.78, while the Hang Seng in Hong Kong lost 0.4% to 25,382.66. The Shanghai Composite Index also dropped by 1.5% to 3,927.70. Taiwan's Taiex fell 1.4%, and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 declined by 0.4% to 9,083.70. Apart from concerns about AI stocks, rising oil prices added to the market uncertainty.

Crude prices were volatile due to uncertainty surrounding a potential deal between the United States and Iran to resume oil tanker exports from the Persian Gulf. Brent crude surged 0.9% to $91.83 per barrel, while U.S. benchmark crude oil increased by 1% to $84.88 per barrel. The S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average, and Nasdaq composite all saw declines on Tuesday.

Major AI-related stocks, such as Micron Technology (-7%), Nvidia (-2.3%), and Broadcom (-3.2%), were among the biggest losers on the S&P 500. Even with recent volatility, these stocks remain strong performers, with Micron's stock more than tripling this year. High bond yields, driven by rising oil prices and inflation, contributed to market concerns about government debt and increased borrowing costs.

Consequently, long-term U.S. Treasury yields remained elevated, potentially discouraging investors from allocating funds to high-priced assets.