Asian stock markets were mixed, with South Korean and Japanese technology shares recovering following a stronger session on Wall Street, while rising oil prices and continued uncertainty over Middle East energy supplies kept investors cautious.
South Korea’s Kospi surged 2.7% to 5,703.38, recovering from Tuesday’s sharp losses as investors returned to semiconductor and artificial intelligence-related stocks.
South Korean AI company Elice, which plunged 32% during its stock market debut on Tuesday, staged a dramatic recovery, with shares rising by the daily limit of 29.9%.
The rebound followed a volatile period for Asian technology companies as investors reassessed AI valuations and the substantial spending required to support new computing infrastructure.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 advanced 1.2% to 64,817.63, supported by stronger export figures and renewed demand for technology-related shares.
Official data showed Japanese exports increased 16.7% year-on-year in September, driven by strong overseas sales of vehicles and computer-related components.
However, imports rose even faster, climbing 18.9% as higher energy costs pushed up Japan’s import bill, contributing to a near doubling of the country’s trade deficit.
The figures highlight the contrasting effects of stronger international demand for Japanese manufactured goods and the rising cost of imported energy.
Markets elsewhere in Asia were less positive, with Hong Kong’s Hang Seng falling 0.5% to 23,738.72 and China’s Shanghai Composite declining 0.5% to 3,716.71.
Taiwan’s Taiex gained 1.3%, supported by technology sector strength, while Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 slipped around 0.2%.
Wall Street provided a mixed but broadly supportive lead following stronger-than-expected corporate earnings from companies including Equifax and Hasbro.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1% and the S&P 500 gained 0.3% on Tuesday, while the technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite ended marginally lower as artificial intelligence stocks experienced further volatility.
Investors are increasingly focusing on company earnings and profitability as they assess whether elevated valuations across the technology sector can be sustained.
Oil prices resumed their upward trend, with Brent crude gaining approximately 1.7% to trade near $110.60 a barrel amid continued uncertainty surrounding supplies from the Middle East.
US West Texas Intermediate crude advanced 1.6% to around $99.30 a barrel, reinforcing concerns that higher energy costs could contribute to persistent global inflation.
Gold remained relatively stable near $4,138 an ounce, while silver declined approximately 1% and copper prices were broadly unchanged.
In currency markets, sterling traded near $1.334 against the US dollar, ahead of the latest UK inflation figures, while Bitcoin strengthened above $82,000.
The recovery in Japanese and South Korean technology shares provides some relief following recent sharp losses, although the mixed performance across Asia suggests investors remain selective.
Attention will now turn to upcoming corporate earnings, oil price movements and inflation data, which could determine whether the recovery in technology stocks can be sustained.
