📉 Global Equities Slip as Tech & AI Selloff Deepens

Global stock markets edged down on Thursday amid growing concerns over massive AI spending, sustained elevated interest rates, and high data center valuations. • Regional Market Movements: • Asia: Bore the brunt of the downturn. South Korea’s KOSPI plunged ~8%, Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell nearly 5%, and MSCI Asia-Pacific (ex-Japan) dropped 3.04% (steepest single-day decline since late July). • US: Wall Street closed mixed. Nasdaq fell 0.23% and Semiconductor Index lost 2%, while S&P 500 rose 0.16% and Dow Jones gained 1.07%. • Europe: Recovered early losses to end 0.33% higher. • Bonds & Currencies: • US Treasuries: 10-year yield tumbled 10.29 bps to 5.087% (biggest daily drop in over a year). • US Dollar: Eased from an 18-month high; fell 0.1% against Yen to 158.14. Euro (+0.42%) rose to $ 1.12, while Sterling (+0.45%) reached $ 1.33. • Commodities: • Oil: Brent crude gained 0.2% to $ 106.35/bbl as traders weighed US sanctions relief against shipping risks in the Strait of Hormuz. • Gold: Spot gold climbed 1.23% to $ 4,155.78/oz. • National Context: Global market volatility and high oil prices put pressure on energy import bills, indirect foreign capital flows, and foreign exchange reserves—factors critical to the resilience of ICT/BPM investments and the capital markets in Sri Lanka.