HONG KONG, Feb 4 (AFP): Stocks mostly rose Wednesday as investors brushed off another tech-fuelled sell-off on Wall Street, while precious metals continued their recovery on dip-buying following a two-day collapse.
Oil prices also extended gains on a fresh pick-up in US-Iran tensions after an American jet shot down an Iranian drone in the Middle East, just as the two sides prepared to hold key nuclear talks.
Assets across the board have endured a volatile start to February owing to a surge in the dollar, geopolitical tensions and the possibility of another US government shutdown.
Concerns over artificial intelligence have also kept traders on their toes amid questions over the vast sums invested in the sector and warnings of a bubble that could pop at any time.
The latest flare-up came in New York, where markets were spooked by news that AI startup Anthropic -- which created the Claude chatbot -- had revealed a tool that could be used by firms to carry out legal work.
The announcement hit firms in the software, financial services and asset management industries. Downbeat sales projections from Advanced Micro Devices compounded the darker mood.
Shares in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney, Seoul, Singapore, Mumbai, Wellington, Taipei and Bangkok rose but Tokyo and Manila slipped.
Stocks mostly rise as traders ignore AI-fuelled sell-off on Wall St
FE Team | Published: February 05, 2026 00:46:07
Stocks mostly rise as traders ignore AI-fuelled sell-off on Wall St
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