Shares were mixed on Monday in Asia and oil prices fell after rising last week to their highest level in more than four years.
US futures edged higher.
Analysts said investors were bracing for earnings reports of big companies and central bank decisions this week that could shake markets. Several influential AI-related companies report their latest financial results this week, including Google’s parent, Alphabet, along with Microsoft and Amazon.
Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 slipped 0.8 per cent to 62,189.65 as shares of computer chipmakers and other tech firms came under renewed selling pressure. Advantest, which makes testing equipment for computer chips, fell 3.9 per cent, while chip- and flat-panel production manufacturer Tokyo Electron lost 3.7 per cent.
The Bank of Japan is due to announce a decision on its key interest rate later in the week.
The Kospi in Seoul dropped 1.5 per cent to 5,469.47. Memory chipmaker Samsung Electronics lost 1.1 per cent.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng picked up 0.5 per cent to 23,206.82, while the Shanghai Composite index rebounded from early losses to gain 0.2 per cent, closing at 3,697.52.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 likewise reversed its losses to advance 0.2 per cent, to 8,809.90.
The price of Brent crude, the international standard, fell 1.4 per cent to $110.12 a barrel. US benchmark crude sank 1.8 per cent to $101.37 a barrel.
