Asian tech stocks slide as AI investment doubts weigh on markets

Asian tech stocks fell sharply Tuesday, led by chipmakers, as investor concerns over the AI investment boom outweighed a Wall Street rebound ahead of major earnings releases. Seoul and Tokyo bore the brunt of the selling. South Korea's Kospi sank over four percent at one point, with SK hynix and Samsung dropping, while Tokyo's Nikkei fell as Kioxia and SoftBank declined. Losses also hit Hong Kong, Shanghai, and other markets, despite gains for Amazon, Microsoft, and Nvidia on Wall Street. Analysts say investors now demand strong guidance and returns on massive AI capital spending, making even decent earnings vulnerable to sell-offs. Oil prices edged up on Iran's Strait of Hormuz threats, while European markets faced pressure from cost-of-living protests.