On Friday morning (13 February, 9:51 AM, GMT+7, Bangkok time), most major indices in the Asia Pacific decreased, tracking further declines on Wall Street following heightened investor anxiety over the disruptive potential of artificial intelligence. The pressure on equities mounted as fears over AI adoption weighed on select U.S. industry sectors, with additional market attention focused on imminent U.S. inflation figures.
The S&P 500 registered a third consecutive session in negative territory, led by weakness in industries where AI technologies threaten core business operations or profitability. Freight, logistics, real estate, financial, and other sectors recorded significant declines.
Market participants are closely monitoring U.S. economic data, with the January core consumer price index scheduled for release later Friday. Economists anticipate a 2.5% annual increase in the core CPI, excluding volatile food and energy categories, and the results may influence market sentiment.
Interest rate expectations remain largely unchanged. Traders continue to see little possibility of an interest rate reduction from the U.S. Federal Reserve at its March meeting, with consensus pointing to a potential rate cut by July.
On the trade front, Washington and Taipei agreed to lower import duties on Taiwanese wares to 15%, aligning with tariff rates on key Asian trading partners, including Japan and South Korea. Taiwan will further reduce or eliminate tariffs on 99% of U.S. exports, granting enhanced market access for U.S. agricultural and industrial products such as vehicles, beef, and minerals.
Japan’s NIKKEI fell by 0.72% to 57,226.59. Australia’s ASX 200 declined by 1.30% to 8,925.60, while South Korea’s KOSPI advanced by 0.45% to 5,547.22.
As for stocks in China, Shanghai’s SSEC shrank by 0.38% to 4,118.15. Shenzhen’s SZI lost 0.51% to 14,210.40, and Hong Kong’s HSI slumped by 1.66% to 26,584.04.
The U.S. stock markets edged down on Thursday as the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) plummeted by 1.34% to 49,451.98. NASDAQ dropped by 2.04% to 22,597.14, while S&P 500 tumbled by 1.57% to 6,832.76. VIX soared by 17.96% to 20.82.
As for commodities, oil prices settled lower on Thursday as market sentiment reflected weakening demand and diminished concerns about potential disruptions in the Middle East, alongside forecasts for higher supply levels. Brent crude concluded trading at $67.52 per barrel, representing a decline of $1.88, or 2.71%. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude settled at $62.84 per barrel, marking a decrease of $1.79, or 2.77%.
This morning, Brent crude futures remained relatively flat, dipping 1 cent, or 0.01%, to $67.51 per barrel, and the WTI edged down 3 cents, or 0.05%, to $62.81 per barrel.
Meanwhile, gold futures surged by 0.94% to $4,994.80 per Troy ounce.
