Asian Futures Slump After U.S. Inflation Data and AI Profit Concerns

Asian night futures suffered sharp losses across major equity benchmarks, driven by lower sentiment in global markets. Nikkei 225 futures dropped 1,680 points to 66,480 during the night session, while Taiwan's TAIEX futures fell 1.75% to 47,945 after touching 49,000 earlier. In South Korea, KOSPI 200 night futures slid 2.89%, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index futures shed 259 points to close at 24,074.

The market drop followed economic and industry reports that triggered broader investor hesitation. September U.S. consumer prices grew 3.7% year over year, surpassing the 3.6% expectation and sparking concern over continued interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve. Simultaneously, updated projections estimated that investments in artificial intelligence infrastructure may yield lower-than-expected returns, putting pressure on major technology companies including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) and SK Hynix.

Market participants will keep a close eye on upcoming economic data releases and central bank guidance regarding monetary policy. Investors are also watching corporate commentary and capital expenditure plans in the technology sector to evaluate whether demand and returns on artificial intelligence hardware can justify current valuations.