Asian Stocks Decline, Led by Korea, Oil Climbs: Markets Wrap
A graph tracking the movement of the Nikkei 225 Stock Average displayed outside a securities firm in Tokyo, Japan, on May 8.
Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/BloombergAsian equities fell after comments on a potential AI dividend in South Korea sapped sentiment in markets already weakened by President Donald Trump casting doubt on the Iran ceasefire. Crude oil rose and bonds fell.
MSCI’s Asia Pacific stock index declined 0.3% after erasing earlier gains of as much as 0.5%. The Kospi Index wiped out gains in the morning to drop as much as 5.1%. South Korea should pay all citizens a share of AI profits, a top policymaker urged. US equity-index futures also dropped after the Wall Street gauges closed at a record high on Monday.