Asia-Pacific markets traded mostly lower on Thursday as the technology-led sell-off on Wall Street gathered pace, with cryptocurrencies also extending losses.
By 12:20 pm AEDT (1:20 am GMT), Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was down 1.9%, Japan’s Nikkei 225 slipped 0.9%, while South Korea’s KOSPI 200 dropped 3.5%.
In South Korea, fresh data showed the country recorded its largest-ever annual current account surplus in 2025, underpinned by robust exports and strong semiconductor demand. According to the Bank of Korea, the surplus totalled US$123.05 billion, up from $99.97 billion a year earlier.
The figure exceeded the central bank’s forecast of $115 billion and surpassed the previous record of $105.1 billion set in 2015.
In Japan, economic data pointed to softer household demand. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications reported that average household spending fell 2.9% month-on-month in December to 351,522 yen, missing expectations for a 1.3% decline after a 6.2% surge in November. On an annual basis, spending dropped 2.6%, also below forecasts for a 0.5% fall following a 2.9% increase in the previous month.
The regional weakness followed losses on Wall Street overnight. In the United States, the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 1.2%, the S&P 500 fell 1.2%, and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 1.6% as technology stocks remained under pressure.
Commodity markets also reflected the risk-off tone. Brent crude fell 2.8% to settle at US$67.55 per barrel. Spot gold slid 3.7% to US$4,780.68 per ounce.
Elsewhere in Asia, China’s Shanghai Composite fell 0.6% to 4,075.9, while the CSI 300 also lost 0.6% to 4,670.4.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index edged up 0.1% to 26,885.2, while India’s BSE Sensex declined 0.6% to 83,313.9.
European markets also finished lower on Thursday. The UK’s FTSE 100 eased 0.9% from record highs to close at 10,309.2. Germany’s DAX fell 0.5% to 24,491.1, while France’s CAC 40 slipped 0.3% to 8,238.2.
