On Friday (26 June, 9:23 AM, GMT+7, Bangkok time), most major indices in the Asia Pacific saw downward trends, with technology shares leading losses. The sector’s recent volatility has influenced trading, stemming from shifts in investor sentiment and company-specific developments.
This followed a turbulent trading day in the United States, where tech companies came under pressure after a string of price increases by industry leaders such as Apple and Microsoft. Apple’s shares tumbled 6% after announcing higher prices for core products, citing increased demand for memory and storage. Microsoft also slipped over 3% following news that costs for key Xbox components were climbing. Other major technology firms, including Alphabet and Meta Platforms, ended lower as well.
Global investors are digesting significant moves in the sector, with ongoing attention focused on whether large-scale investment in artificial intelligence will deliver anticipated returns. Despite strong performance from companies like Micron Technology, market participants continue to exercise caution in the face of pronounced week-to-week swings.
Japan’s NIKKEI dropped by 3.50% to 69,835.49. South Korea’s KOSPI fell by 4.71% to 8,509.74, while Australia’s ASX 200 surged 0.29% to 8,773.70.
As for stocks in China, Shanghai’s SSEC declined by 1.11% to 4,074.72. Shenzhen’s SZI lost 1.69% to 16,067.66, and Hong Kong’s HSI contracted by 1.35% to 22,766.48.
The U.S. stock markets edged down on Thursday as NASDAQ decreased by 0.46% to 25,358.60. S&P 500 slid by 0.01% to 7,357.49, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) rose by 0.14% to 51,920.62. VIX jumped by 1.40% to 18.89.
As for commodities, oil prices settled higher on Thursday amid concerns over an incident in which a cargo ship was struck by an unidentified projectile in waters near Oman. This led to a temporary suspension of efforts to evacuate vessels from the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude ended the session up $1.52, closing at $75.26 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude gained $1.58, settling at $71.92.
This morning, Brent futures shrank 80 cents, or 1.06%, to $74.46 per barrel, and the WTI futures fell 72 cents, or 1.00%, to $71.20 per barrel.
Meanwhile, gold futures dropped by 0.45% to $4,029.40 per Troy ounce.
