Asian Stocks Dip in Early Trade Despite Wall Street AI Gains

Most Asian stock markets fell in cautious early trading Tuesday, despite AI-driven gains on Wall Street the previous day, with oil prices remaining high. Japan's Nikkei 225 dropped 0.6%, Australia's S&P/ASX fell 0.8%, and South Korea's KOSPI declined 2.8%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index slipped about 1%, while Shanghai's composite index saw little change. Analysts noted investors are awaiting third-quarter earnings from major companies. On Monday, the S&P 500 rose 0.4% after its worst weekly performance since June, with the Nasdaq up 1.1% and the Dow down 0.1%. Nvidia, the chipmaker, gained 1.4% and was among the strongest contributors to the S&P 500's rise. Shares of SpaceX, which operates the AI and technology firm xAI, also advanced 1.3%.