South Korea's Kospi Slides Over 4% as Tech Shares Retreat Amid Global Market Uncertainty
The Kospi fell 4.6% after losses in major chipmakers, while mixed movements were seen in European and Asian markets and oil prices remained steady.
South Korea's benchmark Kospi index dropped 4.6% to 6,296.38 on Thursday, led by a 10.4% plunge in memory-chip maker SK Hynix and a 6.3% fall in Samsung Electronics. The decline came after several large U.S. technology stocks slipped on Wall Street, including Alphabet, down 4%, and Microsoft, down 1.1%.
In Europe, Germany's DAX rose 0.3%, France's CAC 40 gained 0.7%, and Britain's FTSE 100 added 0.3%. Japan's Nikkei 225 slipped 0.9%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 1.5% and Shanghai's Composite rose 0.6%. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 increased 0.5%.
Oil prices were largely unchanged, with Brent crude near $79 per barrel and U.S. benchmark crude at $75.21. Market participants remain cautious ahead of Friday's U.S. non-farm payroll report, which could influence the Federal Reserve's policy outlook.
"Asia’s chip sell-off looks like a combination of profit-taking and risk reduction ahead of Friday’s non-farm payroll report," said Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management.
U.S. markets showed mixed results: the S&P 500 edged up 0.1%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.3%, while the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.8% after slipping from a record high the previous day.
Disney reported earnings that beat expectations, lifting its shares 3.6% after a strong box-office performance by "Toy Story 5" and higher theme-park revenue. SpaceX, now a public company, saw its stock fall 13.6% following a quarterly report that highlighted increased AI spending; the filing also noted a partnership with Nvidia, whose shares rose 3.4%.
Currency markets saw the yen weaken to 157.85 per dollar and the euro dip to $1.1545. Analysts note that inflation concerns and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East continue to shape investor sentiment.