Asian tech stocks slump as AI rout deepens on disappointing U.S. earnings

Asian technology stocks experienced a sharp decline on Friday, fueled by concerns over the weakening artificial intelligence sector and disappointing earnings from prominent U.S. companies. Chipmaking firms faced the steepest drop, with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) dropping 1.8% in Taiwan trade. Server and electronics assembler Hon Hai Precision Industry, also known as Foxconn, (TW:2317) fell 3%.

South Korean electronics giant Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (KS:005930) saw a 5.9% decline, extending its losses after missing expectations for third-quarter earnings. SK Hynix Inc (KS:000660) fell 8.3%.

Japanese chipmakers also suffered substantial losses, with Tokyo Electron Ltd. (TYO:8035) plummeting over 5% and Murata Manufacturing Co (TYO:6981) shedding 11% ahead of their September quarter earnings. Advantest Corp. (TYO:6857) witnessed a 5.8% decline, reversing its earlier gains after NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) supplier reported strong quarterly results.

Tech conglomerate SoftBank Group Corp. (TYO:9984), heavily invested in AI, dropped nearly 7%. The Japanese market was further unsettled by the Bank of Japan's hawkish stance, which left interest rates unchanged but indicated potential inflation control measures could lead to more increases. The BOJ also announced a significant increase in sales of its exchange-traded fund holdings, directly impacting Japanese equities.

The decline in chip shares followed an over 20% drop in Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) on Thursday, as the U.S. chipmaker's fourth-quarter guidance fell short of expectations. Intel's PC business faced additional challenges due to soaring component costs and weakened consumer demand, a trend affecting electronics manufacturers worldwide.

The uncertainty surrounding the long-term potential of AI intensified following disappointing results from Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN) and Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL), further fueling doubts about the profitability of AI infrastructure investments. As tech companies scramble to monetize AI, the lack of clear profitability signals has caused tech valuations to plummet, prompting investors to shift their focus to more stable sectors.