Asian stock markets exhibited mixed performance on Monday amid ongoing volatility in technology stocks and a decline in oil prices. The fluctuation in tech shares is attributed to growing concerns about the sustainability of the artificial intelligence boom, while the drop in oil prices follows a decision by US President Donald Trump to suspend certain sanctions against Russia, particularly those affecting the energy sector.
South Korea’s Kospi index rose by 1.8%, recovering some of its losses from the previous week. Meanwhile, Japan’s Nikkei 225 saw a decline of 0.6%. In China, the Shanghai Composite increased by 0.4% after the country reported better-than-anticipated economic growth of 4.5% for the July–September quarter. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 also advanced by 0.4%, whereas Taiwan’s Taiex decreased by 0.6% and India’s Sensex slipped 0.9%. The Hong Kong stock market was closed for a holiday.
Technology shares continued to experience pressure, with South Korean chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix recording modest gains. In contrast, Japanese tech stocks, including Tokyo Electron and SoftBank Group, experienced declines. Investors remain focused on upcoming earnings reports from major US companies such as Meta, Netflix, Tesla, General Motors, and IBM, which could influence global equity markets amid recent tech-sector losses.
Oil prices fell more than 2% following Trump’s decision to delay new US sanctions against Russia. Consequently, Brent crude dropped 2.5% to $107.16 per barrel, while US crude fell 2.2% to $96.84. Despite the decrease, oil prices remain higher than levels before the Iran war, with continuing tensions in the Middle East and uncertainty over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz sustaining concerns about global energy supplies.
Meanwhile, US Treasury yields eased slightly as investors evaluated inflation risks, government debt, and the overall outlook for financial markets. The market’s movements this week are anticipated to be influenced by corporate earnings, energy prices, and developments in geopolitical tensions.
