Asian Markets Edge Higher After AI Stock Turbulence as Investors Monitor Fed Direction
Asian stock markets edged higher at the opening of trading on Wednesday, 18 February 2026. The gains brought an end to turbulence driven by market participants' concerns over AI-related equities.
Easing anxiety about the future of artificial intelligence pushed several benchmark indices in the region closer to their highest levels. The sweeping changes wrought by AI have created tension between fears that the technology will transform large swathes of the economy and doubts about the returns generated after massive spending on adopting the technology. The situation has drawn particular scrutiny given that Asia is home to the world's chip developers and hardware manufacturers, as cited by The Economic Times.
Investors were also closely watching the direction of Federal Reserve interest rate policy. Last week, the US central bank released data showing a robust labour market and low inflation.
According to Investing, Japan's Nikkei 225 index rose 1.00 per cent, whilst the Topix index gained 1.23 per cent.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index climbed 0.52 per cent. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index advanced 0.28 per cent.
Meanwhile, the South Korean market was closed for a public holiday.
Benchmark indices on US exchanges closed firmly in positive territory. The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 0.07 per cent to 49,533.19, the S&P 500 rose 0.10 per cent to 6,843.22, and the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.14 per cent to 22,578.38.
Easing anxiety about the future of artificial intelligence pushed several benchmark indices in the region closer to their highest levels. The sweeping changes wrought by AI have created tension between fears that the technology will transform large swathes of the economy and doubts about the returns generated after massive spending on adopting the technology. The situation has drawn particular scrutiny given that Asia is home to the world's chip developers and hardware manufacturers, as cited by The Economic Times.
Investors were also closely watching the direction of Federal Reserve interest rate policy. Last week, the US central bank released data showing a robust labour market and low inflation.
According to Investing, Japan's Nikkei 225 index rose 1.00 per cent, whilst the Topix index gained 1.23 per cent.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index climbed 0.52 per cent. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index advanced 0.28 per cent.
Meanwhile, the South Korean market was closed for a public holiday.
Benchmark indices on US exchanges closed firmly in positive territory. The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 0.07 per cent to 49,533.19, the S&P 500 rose 0.10 per cent to 6,843.22, and the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.14 per cent to 22,578.38.