Asian markets follow US plunge as AI stocks face fresh sell-off

Asian markets experienced a sharp decline on Friday, aligning with a heavy sell-off on Wall Street. This decline stemmed from heightened concerns over artificial intelligence (AI) investments. Major Japanese and South Korean stock indices, the Nikkei 225 and the Kospi, respectively, plummeted 6.2% and 7.1%, respectively. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 also saw a 0.7% decrease.

These losses followed a tumultuous day on Wall Street, when major U.S. stock indexes suffered their steepest declines in months. The S&P 500 dropped 4.4%, marking its worst single-day performance since April 2025, whereas the Dow Jones Industrial Average decreased by 3.4%, and the Nasdaq Composite fell by 5.5%. The Nasdaq, heavily weighted with technology and AI-related companies, is now 11.9% below its recent peak, an event typically referred to as a market correction.

The decline eliminated Wall Street's gains from the previous day, which had been its strongest in three months. Companies within the AI sector bore the brunt of the sell-off, with Nvidia, a leading AI stock, falling by 9.3%, making it the most significant contributor to the S&P 500's losses. Other AI-linked stocks also suffered, including Advanced Micro Devices, CoreWeave, and GE Vernova.

The ongoing uncertainty surrounding the U.S. midterm elections and potential restrictions on data center construction has further dampened investor confidence. Additionally, rising oil prices due to Iran's ongoing conflict added to the overall market volatility. As a result, investors are flocking towards safer assets, causing U.S. Treasury yields to fall.