KOSPI slumps over 6% as Asian markets fall over AI worries

After a selloff in US chipmakers rekindled worries that the AI-driven rise has overtaken fundamentals, Asian markets declined.

South Korea's KOSPI stumbled down the trading stairs, falling over 6% in early trade. Japan's coveted Nikkei 225 also fell, shedding over 2% of its value.

The MSCI Asia Pacific Index as a whole dropped 0.9% as South Korean stocks plummeted more than 5%. Futures on the US stock index fell 0.3%. The actions followed a 6.3% decline in a barometer of semiconductor equities and a decline in Wall Street benchmarks on Wednesday.

As crude oil continued to drop, markets saw some respite. The price of Brent dropped 0.8% to $71 a barrel, the lowest since the US and Israel bombed Iran in late February.

Early Asian trading saw a stabilisation of two-year Treasury yields. Gold maintained its prior session's rise.

The market's attention is still mostly on Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh, who stated that price risks have recently decreased while reiterating his commitment to bringing inflation back to the US central bank's 2% target, Bloomberg reported.

Early Asian trading saw a stabilisation of two-year Treasury yields. Gold maintained its prior session's rise.

Also Read: Brent crude prices fall below $71 a barrel as traffic flows through Hormuz, talks progress

Warsh stated that inflation expectations had decreased in the previous month while speaking at the European Central Bank's annual forum in Sintra, Portugal. Additionally, he reaffirmed the Fed's dedication to re-establishing price stability, bolstering predictions that decision-makers are not in a hurry to raise interest rates.

Investors found solace in remarks made by Warsh and other central bankers indicating that inflation risks have become more balanced, even as the selloff in semiconductor companies continued to negatively impact confidence in the stock market.

After Warsh's comments dampened expectations of a July rate increase, attention now turns to the US employment report on Thursday for new indications on the policy outlook.