Tech sell-off pressures Asian stocks ahead of central bank policy week

Asian markets opened lower on Monday, led down by tech-heavy indices as a global pullback in artificial intelligence and semiconductor valuations continued to weigh on risk sentiment ahead of a major central bank policy and corporate earnings week.Japan’s Nikkei 225 ( fell 0.2% to below 62,500, with the Japanese yen trading near 156.7 per dollar. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index () rose 0.5% at 23,057, while mainland China’s Shanghai Composite () lost 0.11% to 3,670 and the Shenzhen Component dropped 1.6% to 11,489. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 () rose 0.22% to 8,771 following hawkish rate commentary from the Reserve Bank of Australia.Regional equities remain pressured by mounting skepticism over AI capital expenditures and broader economic headwinds. In China, fiscal expansion slowed as public spending rose just 1% through September, with markets awaiting guidance from the Chinese Communist Party’s Fifth Plenum.Digital assets also faltered, pushing Bitcoin down to around $79,000.On Wall Street, U.S. stock indices as surging energy prices and bond yield volatility pressured major benchmarks to post their second consecutive weekly loss.U.S. stock futures stabilized on Monday morning as investors digested geopolitical risks in the Middle East and prepared for high-stakes earnings reports from tech giants Amazon, Alphabet, Microsoft, and Intel, alongside non-tech companies like Visa, Coca-Cola, Boeing, Eli Lilly, and Exxon Mobil.On the macro front, investors face a dense slate of catalysts this week. Central banks, including the Fed, ECB, and BOJ, are widely expected to hold rates steady while signaling potential late-2026 policy moves. Meanwhile, key economic data (U.S. and Eurozone GDP, U.S. PCE, and European and Australian inflation).Content provided by Seeking Alpha is intended for information purposes only, and that Seeking Alpha does not offer any personalist investment advice and is not a licensed securities dealer, broker, US investment adviser or investment bank.