HONG KONG (AP) — Asian stocks tumbled Friday, with Japan’s Nikkei slumping 2.4% on heavy selling of semiconductor-related shares and other market heavyweights.
Tensions in the Middle East were weighing on sentiment across the region, and U.S. futures were sharply lower.
Oil prices jumped as the state-run IRNA news agency reported that Iran fired air defense batteries early Friday morning after reports of explosions near the city of Isfahan.
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 lost 2.4% to 37,156.54, paring losses in the early trading when it plunged 3.5%.
Semiconductor equipment supplier Lasertec was the largest loser, which lost 8.4%. But most other big tech-related shares also dropped. Renesas gave up 6%, Tokyo Electron lost 8.7% and Sony Group Corp. declined 1.8%.
Toyota Motor Corp was down 2.2%.
Japan’s headline inflation rate slowed to 2.7% in March, the government reported, while the core-core index, excluding fresh food and energy costs, moderated to 2.9%, marking the first time since November 2022 that it fell below 3%.
Elon Musk gets approval from FDA to implant his Neuralink brain chip into a second patient
Amy Duggar says she hopes pedophile cousin Josh is facing 'absolute torture' in prison
UN warns Sudan paramilitary forces are encircling a capital in western Darfur, urges against attack
J.D. Martinez makes his Mets debut after he was sidelined by back issues
‘The Blue Angels,’ filmed for IMAX, puts viewers in the ‘box’ with the elite flying squad
Uzbekistan knocks out titleholder Saudi Arabia in Under
1 climber dead, another seriously hurt after 1,000
First night of NFL draft averages 12.1 million viewers, a 6% increase over last year
'Constantly learning' Imanaga off to impressive start with the Chicago Cubs
QB Penix hears from Cousins, Vick after landing with Falcons as NFL draft first
Saudi Arabia is going to sponsor the WTA women's tennis rankings under a new partnership
The long wait for the 1st running back to be drafted ends with Jonathan Brooks going 46th