Asian stock markets moved lower across the board on Wednesday as technology shares extended losses that began on Wall Street, and investors adopted a cautious stance ahead of Nvidia's quarterly earnings later in the day.
U.S. benchmarks closed down for a third consecutive session on Tuesday, with technology and semiconductor names among the weakest areas. During Asian trading hours, U.S. stock futures were largely unchanged.
Regional performance and key movers
Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 1.5%, while the broader TOPIX lost 1.7%. South Korea's main index, the KOSPI, declined by more than 2.5%.
Shares of Samsung flipped from early gains to a sharp decline of over 4% after the company said negotiations with its union had broken down because of unresolved differences on a few remaining issues. Yonhap news agency reported that the Samsung union will proceed with a strike starting Thursday, May 21, as planned.
Higher global bond yields continued to weigh on growth-sensitive sectors, particularly technology and semiconductor companies that have been central to this year's rally led by artificial intelligence-related demand.
Earnings, policy and macro drivers
Market participants were focused on Nvidia's first-quarter earnings report due later on Wednesday to gauge the durability of AI-driven spending. The stock's sharp advance earlier in the year has left some investors concerned that expectations may be elevated.
Traders were also awaiting the minutes from the Federal Reserve's April policy meeting, due later on Wednesday, for additional guidance on the outlook for U.S. interest rates.
Oil prices remained elevated above $110 per barrel, though they had eased slightly after U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington had postponed a planned military strike on Iran. Trump later cautioned that the United States could still take military action if diplomatic efforts fail, keeping geopolitical risk and inflation concerns in focus.
China policy and other regional moves
China's central bank kept its benchmark lending rates unchanged for a 12th straight month. The one-year loan prime rate remained at 3.00% and the five-year LPR was left at 3.50%, in line with market expectations. The decision provided little support to mainland markets as investors remained concerned about weak credit demand and the prolonged property downturn.
China's Shanghai Composite edged 0.5% lower and the blue-chip Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 fell 0.4%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng slipped 1.1%. Elsewhere in the region, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 dropped 1.2%, Singapore's Straits Times Index fell 0.8%, and futures linked to India's Nifty 50 were down about 0.5%.
Overall, markets reflected a mix of earnings anticipation, monetary-policy scrutiny and geopolitical concerns, with technology and energy-related dynamics among the primary influences on price action during the session.