Asian stocks struggled to stay above water in early trade, as tech earnings optimism provided only fleeting support amid lingering concerns over AI and uncertainty in the Gulf.
MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was down 0.2 per cent, on track for a fourth straight week of decline. Japan’s Nikkei stock index gave up earlier gains to trade 0.4pc lower, while Korean shares were down more than 1%.
US stock futures, the S&P 500 e-minis, were down 0.4pc at 7,765.8.
