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• Asian stock markets surged on Wednesday, with the MSCI Asia-Pacific index (excluding Japan) rising 2.3% and Chinese blue chips gaining 1.5%. • The rally was driven by strong corporate earnings and a renewed appetite for technology stocks, mirroring record highs on Wall Street and boosting Japan's Nikkei by 3.5%. • South Korea's market experienced significant volatility with a 4.3% increase, while oil prices and bond yields declined amid hopes for progress regarding the Strait of Hormuz.

• Oil prices tumbled on Monday, August 3, while global stocks mostly rose following US President Donald Trump's announcement that he is preparing for new talks with Iran. • The market shift is driven by hopes that these diplomatic efforts will lead to a deal ending the ongoing war in the Middle East. • Conversely, Asian technology stocks faced heavy losses, with South Korea's Kospi index dragged down by chipmakers SK Hynix and Samsung.

Cotality data shows a drop in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, as nation’s median home price falls about $19,000 below its March peakGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastHouse prices have fallen in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth as the market downturn spreads across Australia.New Cotality data, released on Monday, showed prices have fallen across most of the nation since May. Continue reading...

• Qualcomm shares fell 2.55% to $147.74 today, continuing a period of sustained downside momentum. • The selloff occurred despite the company's strategic push into AI compute and a new partnership with BMW. • Investors remain cautious due to persistent weakness in Qualcomm's core handset segment, which is offsetting growth initiatives.

• Asian stock markets experienced a significant decline, highlighted by South Korea's KOSPI sinking 8% and Taiwan's benchmark index falling nearly 4%. • The sell-off was driven by a combination of AI-related jitters, geopolitical tensions following Iranian attacks, and fears that China's growing semiconductor ecosystem will pressure established chipmakers. • Other regional markets also retreated, with Hong Kong’s Hang Seng easing about 1.5% and mainland China’s Shanghai Composite and CSI 300 both declining over 0.5%.

• South Korea's benchmark Kospi index plunged 6% on Wednesday, closing at 5,663.24, its lowest level since early April. • The decline was driven by a massive selloff in chipmakers after SK Hynix reported quarterly earnings that missed analyst expectations despite growing nearly sixfold year-over-year. • The crash reflects growing investor anxiety regarding the sustainability of AI spending and the future demand for semiconductor components.

• Asian stock markets experienced a significant decline, highlighted by South Korea's KOSPI sinking 8% and Taiwan's benchmark index falling nearly 4%. • The sell-off was driven by a combination of AI-related jitters, geopolitical tensions following Iranian attacks, and fears that China's growing semiconductor ecosystem will pressure established chipmakers. • Other regional markets also retreated, with Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropping about 1.5% and mainland China’s Shanghai Composite and CSI 300 declining over 0.5%.