Asian markets mixed as AI tech stocks face volatility

Asian stock markets showed mixed performance on Friday as investors reacted to volatility in the technology sector and shifting oil prices. Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell by over 1%, while SoftBank shares dropped more than 6%. Other Japanese semiconductor-related stocks, including Advantest and Tokyo Electron, also saw declines.

The movement follows pressure on U.S. technology stocks, particularly those linked to artificial intelligence. Investor concerns were fueled by reports regarding OpenAI’s annualized revenue, which led to a sell-off in AI infrastructure and hardware companies such as Nvidia, AMD, and Intel.

In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 rose by 0.37%. However, the AI data center operator Firmus announced it would cancel its planned initial public offering (IPO), citing market instability and unfavorable conditions that did not reflect the company’s long-term growth prospects.

Meanwhile, oil prices declined following statements from U.S. President Donald Trump regarding Iran, which eased immediate fears of conflict escalation. Brent crude futures fell by 0.77% to $103.48 per barrel.