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Investing.com-- Asian stock markets fell on Monday, led by sharp declines in South Korean and Hong Kong shares, as an AI-driven sell-off gathered pace in line with weak Wall Street sentiment, while investors digested mixed signals from China’s latest factory activity data.

The pullback tracked losses in Wall Street futures during Asian hours, with tech-heavy Nasdaq futures slipping 1% amid concerns that enthusiasm around artificial intelligence may have run ahead of fundamentals.

KOPI slumps over 5%, Hang Seng drops 2.5%

South Korea’s KOSPI slumped more than 5%, weighed down by losses in heavyweight chipmakers -- Samsung Electronics (KS:005930) and SK Hynix (KS:000660) dropping between 4.8% and 6.5%.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index declined 2.5%, with the Hang Seng TECH sub-index losing more than 3%.

Elsewhere in the region, markets were broadly weaker, reflecting a cautious start to the week after last week’s declines in U.S. equities.

Sentiment toward AI-linked shares has deteriorated following recent U.S. earnings, including results from Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), which highlighted rising costs tied to heavy AI investment and raised questions about near-term returns.

The outlook for the sector remains in focus this week, with earnings due from Amazon and Alphabet, both seen as bellwethers for cloud computing and AI-related demand.

Adding to the cautious mood, U.S. President Donald Trump nominated Kevin Warsh to be the next chair of the Federal Reserve. Warsh, a former Fed governor, has a long track record of emphasising inflation risks and has historically been viewed as relatively hawkish on monetary policy.

Traders weigh mixed China PMI figures

Data released on Saturday showed that China’s official manufacturing PMI slipped further below the 50 mark in January, pointing to a contraction in factory activity and highlighting persistent weakness in domestic demand.

In contrast, the RatingDog private manufacturing PMI, which focuses more on smaller, private firms, edged back into expansion territory, offering a more optimistic view of export-oriented sectors.

In mainland China, the blue-chip Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 fell 1.1%, while the Shanghai Composite declined 1.3%, amid a broader regional downturn.

Japan's Nikkei 225 dropped 1%, while the broader TOPIX index edged 0.3% lower.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 slipped 1.3%, while Singapore's Straits Times Index eased 0.3%.

Futures for India's Nifty 50 traded flat at open.

Investing.com-- Most Asian stock markets fell on Friday, led by declines in technology shares, after a weak finish on Wall Street overnight dented risk appetite, while investors weighed Tokyo inflation data that kept expectations for further Bank of Japan policy tightening in focus.

Several regional markets, which have posted strong gains so far in January, pulled back from record or multi-year highs amid profit-taking, with Chinese shares leading declines.

In the U.S., Wall Street closed lower overnight, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq under pressure as Microsoft's (NASDAQ:MSFT) shares plunged roughly 10% amid investor concern that heavy AI spending may not deliver commensurate returns, while its cloud growth lagged expectations.

U.S. stock index futures also declined modestly during Asian hours.

China, HK shares lead losses; KOPI gains

Back in Asia, Chinese shares led losses. The blue-chip Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 and the Shanghai Composite slipped over 1% each.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng index slumped nearly 2%, with the Hang Seng TECH sub-index declining similarly. Hong Kong shares were set to jump over 7% for January.

Singapore's Straits Times Index edged down 0.2% after hitting a record high earlier in the session. The index was set for a 6% monthly rise.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index fell 0.6%, but was on track to gain 2% this month.

Futures for India's Nifty 50 index inched 0.3% lower.

In contrast, South Korean shares rose, bucking the broader regional trend. The KOSPI gained 0.5% on strong performances in heavyweight chipmakers, with SK Hynix (KS:000660) and Samsung Electronics (KS:005930) extending gains after stellar earnings results reported a day earlier.

The KOSPI index was set for stellar gains of nearly 25% for January.

Tokyo inflation cools, core measure still above BOJ target

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 index slipped 0.4%, while the broader TOPIX index fell 0.3%.

The Nikkei was set to rise over 5% in January, with some gains tempered by a stronger yen.

Tokyo’s consumer price data on Friday showed inflation in the Japanese capital easing to its lowest level in about four years, highlighting cooling price pressures while keeping the Bank of Japan’s policy outlook in focus.

The core measure, which excludes fresh food and is closely watched by the BOJ, also eased from the previous month but remained slightly above the central bank’s 2% target, indicating that underlying inflation has not fully faded.

The data still kept expectations of near-term BOJ tightening alive.

Investing.com-- Most Asian stock markets rose on Wednesday as strong gains in technology and AI-related shares ahead of key U.S. megacap earnings outweighed caution in some markets before the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision later in the day.

Regional bourses were lifted by Wall Street’s fresh highs amid optimism around corporate earnings and continued AI demand, with the S&P 500 hitting record highs and the Nasdaq notching gains in recent sessions. 

U.S. stock index futures also traded higher as of 22:20 ET (03:20 GMT), with tech-heavy Nasdaq jumping 0.6%.

S.Korea, HK lead gains ahead of US big tech earnings

Asian stock markets mirrored the optimism, with semiconductors and data‑centre related names outperforming as investors positioned for positive earnings and AI–driven growth.

Wednesday’s U.S. earnings calendar features Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:META), and Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) reporting results later in the day, with Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) due on Thursday.

Markets are watching results for signs of sustained AI‑related revenue strength and capital expenditure trends.

South Korea’s KOSPI jumped as much as 2%, with Samsung rising 1.5% and SK Hynix surging 5%.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng surged 2.4%, with Hang Seng TECH sub-index climbing 1.5%.

In mainland China, the blue-chip Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 and the Shanghai Composite index added 0.5% each.

Futures tied to India’s Nifty 50 index edged 0.3% higher.

Fed decision looms large; Nikkei pressured by stronger yen

Market focus was also firmly on the Fed, which is widely expected to keep interest rates unchanged later on Wednesday.

Traders are watching the policy statement and Chair Jerome Powell’s remarks for clues on the timing of potential rate cuts later this year, with any shift in guidance likely to influence risk appetite and currency markets across Asia.

Bucking the regional trend, Singapore’s FTSE Straits Times Index eased 0.5%, while Australia’a S&P/ASX 200 edged 0.2% lower.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 eased 0.6%, while TOPIX declined 1%, pressured by a strong yen trading near its highest levels in about three months on speculation of possible U.S.–Japan foreign‑exchange intervention.

Still lossed in Japan were limited by sharp rises in AI-related stocks like Renesas Electronics Corp (TYO:6723) and tech investor SoftBank (TYO:9984).

A firmer yen increases the cost of Japanese goods abroad and can reduce overseas profits when repatriated, putting downward pressure on Japan’s export‑heavy benchmark.