Global Market Today: Asian stocks dip with AI in focus, oil declines
MSCI’s Asia Pacific equities gauge dipped 0.1%, with the Kospi Index in South Korea — a bellwether for AI investments — falling 1.2%. However, US equity-index futures erased earlier losses to edged up, with contracts for the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 climbing 0.1%.
Asian stocks slipped on Monday, with focus on the artificial intelligence theme ahead of earnings from Nvidia Corp. and the Federal Reserve’s annual gathering. The MSCI’s Asia Pacific equities gauge fell 0.1%, while South Korea’s Kospi Index, a key indicator for AI investments, dropped 1.2%. However, US equity-index futures offset early losses, slightly increasing for the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100.
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. aimed to raise around HK$80 billion ($10.2 billion) through a share sale, seeking to establish global dominance in AI. Additionally, Nvidia customers received notification of price hikes.
Brent oil prices declined by 1% to $93.45 a barrel ahead of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s press conference outlining a strategy to isolate Iran economically. Oil prices have surged over 50% this year due to the ongoing US-Iran war, which has restricted global crude supplies, with no sight of reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
This week holds significant importance for markets, as investors await Fed Chair Kevin Warsh’s remarks at Jackson Hole, Wyoming, for insights on interest rates. Elevated oil prices are fueling inflation concerns and driving bond yields to multi-decade highs. Traders are also preparing for Nvidia’s earnings and guidance to assess if the recent rally in AI shares will continue.
In Asia, attention will center on Alibaba, the online retail giant turned AI player. The company announced on Sunday the offering of 710 million shares at HK$112.7 each, a 3.6% discount from Alibaba’s American depositary receipts' closing price on Friday.
Nvidia will implement price increases on systems shipped early next year, affecting products featuring the flagship Vera Rubin and Grace Blackwell chips, according to sources familiar with the process. The increases will vary depending on the generation of Nvidia chips and memory configurations.
The developments highlight growing concerns over the sustainability of AI spending, as soaring hardware costs may jeopardize returns while companies invest heavily in the technology. Meanwhile, the Canadian dollar weakened following the abrupt breakdown of trade talks with the US, which imposed a 50% duty on approximately $20 billion worth of Canadian goods.
Prime Minister Mark Carney stated that Canada would impose counter-tariffs on $20 billion of US products starting September 8. Gold continued its upward trend from the previous week, trading near $4,630 an ounce.
The focus remains on Bessent's plans for fiscal consolidation on Monday, as he seeks to address growing budget deficits and debt projected to reach a record 120% of GDP within a decade. Fiscal consolidation, through spending cuts or revenue increases, remains doubtful, as the Congressional Budget Office projects large budget deficits and mounting debt without substantial improvements, warns Elias Haddad, global head of markets strategy at Brown Brothers Harriman.
Written by urgent.news from The Economic Times - Top News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
