Investing.com-- Most Asian stocks fell on Thursday as earnings from technology major Nvidia provided middling cues, while Indian markets tumbled after the U.S. accused conglomerate Adani of corruption.
Regional markets took few cues from a muted overnight session on Wall Street, as caution over NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) kept investors to the sidelines. But U.S. stock index futures sank in Asian trade, tracking an over 1% aftermarket drop in Nvidia.
Heightened tensions over Russia and Ukraine also kept overall risk appetite limited.
Asia tech skittish as Nvidia offers mixed signals
Technology-heavy Asian bourses mostly fell on Thursday, although stocks with direct exposure to Nvidia were a mixed bag as its results offered differing cues. The TOPIX index shed 0.3%.
The world’s most valuable listed company clocked stronger than expected earnings in the September quarter. But its guidance for the current quarter just barely scraped past expectations, pointing to slowing revenue growth and sparking some fears that artificial intelligence demand had potentially peaked.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 index shed 0.7%, with chip stocks Advantest Corp. (TYO:6857) and Tokyo Electron Ltd. (TYO:8035)n both losing ground.
South Korea’s KOSPI rose 0.2%, buoyed by small gains in Nvidia supplier SK Hynix Inc (KS:000660), which said it had begun production of advanced flash memory chips. Peer Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (KS:005930) rose 0.5%.
Taiwan shares of TSMC (TW:2330) (NYSE:TSM)- the world’s biggest contract chipmaker and a major Nvidia supplier- fell 1%, while those of Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd (TW:2317), also known as Foxconn (SS:601138), lost nearly 2%.
Nvidia is considered as a bellwether for AI demand, with its underwhelming guidance sparking some concerns that tech valuations had overestimated just how much of an earnings driver the industry will remain.
Weakness in Asian tech spilled over into other sectors. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index shed 0.2%, with shares of Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (HK:0981), China’s biggest chipmaker, trading sideways.
China’s Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 and Shanghai Composite indexes fell around 0.3% each, while Australia’s ASX 200 fell 0.1%.
Indian stocks slide on Adani charges
India’s Nifty 50 slid 0.9% to an over five-month low, pressured by losses in shares of firms under Adani after U.S. authorities accused Chairman Gautam Adani of an over $250 million bribery scheme. Adani and seven other defendants, including his nephew Sagar Adani, were accused of bribing government officials to land lucrative solar power contracts.
Shares of listed companies under the conglomerate- most notably flagship Adani Enterprises Ltd (NS:ADEL) and Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (NS:APSE)- fell 10% to hit their lower circuit breakers.
The U.S. allegations echo those leveled by short seller Hindenburg Research in early-2023. Adani shares had lost more than $100 billion in a matter of days after the Hindenburg report, although they have since recouped these losses.
Multiple media reports said Adani Green Energy Ltd (NS:ADNA) had also scrapped a planned bond issuance in the wake of the allegations. Shares slid around 20%.
Weakness in Adani added to pressure on broader Indian stocks, which were already nursing steep losses over the past month as foreign investors withdrew from the country. The Nifty was in correction territory after sinking more than 10% from its September record highs.