A sell-off in tech firms dragged Asian markets down Thursday after investors were left disappointed by earnings from chip titan Nvidia that stoked concerns about the outlook for all things artificial intelligence.
While the report beat expectations in many areas, it took the wind out of the sails for traders, who had been enjoying a run-up on the prospect of US interest rates coming down from next month.
Investors had been keenly awaiting the release from California-based Nvidia, which has become a bellwether for the tech sector owing to its huge role in the development of AI chips.
Analysts had warned ahead of the event that even a forecast-busting reading might not be enough to satisfy markets, which have grown used to outsized profits and revenues.
Nvidia’s share price is up about 160 percent year-to-date, and has accounted for a third of the broad-based S&P 500 index’s gains this year.
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