Volatile Asian Markets Mirror Global Economic Tensions Amid Tech and Trade Uncertainties

Asian markets experienced mixed results on Thursday, influenced by modest gains on Wall Street and pending corporate earnings from tech giant Nvidia. The S&P 500 reached an all-time high ahead of the earnings, while US futures remained unpredictable and oil prices showed a decline.

Notably, Cambricon Technologies in China surged over 7%, becoming the priciest stock on the Shanghai exchange, bolstered by government support for domestic semiconductor firms. In contrast, Hong Kong and Japanese indexes reflected cautious trading approaches amid ongoing trade discussions with the United States.

Nvidia's earnings report exceeded Wall Street forecasts, although its artificial intelligence chipset sales grew slower than expected, affecting after-hours trading. Overall, market volatility echoes broader economic concerns, including US tariff impacts and Federal Reserve interest rate policy tensions.

(With inputs from agencies.)