Asian markets tumble as AI linked tech shares suffer losses
Asian stock markets dropped sharply on Friday, mostly because tech shares tied to artificial intelligence took a beating.
South Korea's KOSPI fell over 7%, Japan's Nikkei lost nearly 6% (over 3,000 points), and Taiwan's main index slid by 8%.
Singapore's Straits Times index fell 2.20% to 5,180, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was trading lower during early trading, reflecting the nervous mood.
SK Hynix Samsung Electronics TSMC tumble
Semiconductor companies were hit especially hard: SK Hynix plunged more than 8% and Samsung Electronics shed 7%, while Japan's Advantest and Tokyo Electron also saw steep losses.
Taiwan's TSMC and Foxconn each fell close to 10%.
This all follows Wall Street's rough week, with investors growing cautious about how much further AI investments can go after recent political shifts in the US.