Stock Rally Pauses on Tech Valuations, Dollar Dips: Markets Wrap
(Bloomberg) — A blistering run in global equities halted amid rising concern that technology valuations have run too far.
Asian shares fell 0.8%, tracking declines in the US, with technology firms dragging in Japan and China. Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. slumped 7% after reports that brokerages have cut the stock’s margin financing ratio to zero, citing high valuations. A gauge of Chinese tech shares in Hong Kong was set for its worst week since early August. Equity-index futures for Europe and the US were flat.
The dollar slipped after a four-day rally took it to the strongest since the beginning of August. A Bloomberg gauge of the currency was set for its best weekly gain since mid-November 2024. Gold extended its losses, while oil held the biggest decline in a week.
Global shares were set for a second decline in three weeks as investors took a pause following a robust rebound from April’s lows, when tariff announcements shook markets. The surge in AI-focused technology companies has fueled a debate over whether prices are running ahead of fundamentals.
“Some areas of the market appear overheated,” said Keith Lerner at Truist Advisory Services Inc. “The extended stretch without a meaningful pullback leaves the market more sensitive to negative surprises.”
Chip stocks in Asia, especially in Japan, had rallied earlier this month after companies such as Hitachi Ltd. and Fujitsu Ltd. formed alliances with OpenAI and Nvidia Corp. South Korean shares rose upon return from a week-long holiday with Samsung Electronics Co. jumping 5.4%.
“China tech is starting the fourth quarter with some profit-taking by investors after a stellar 3Q run, and that’s weighing down the index,” said Marvin Chen, a strategist with Bloomberg Intelligence.
In other corners of the market, Treasuries steadied after falling across the curve Thursday.
The yen headed for its biggest weekly loss in a year even as Japan’s new ruling-party leader Sanae Takaichi — a pro-stimulus lawmaker — said she wasn’t in favor of an excessively weak currency.
Takaichi will meet with her ruling coalition counterpart on Friday afternoon, amid fears of a possible rupturing of the 26-year partnership that has been the bedrock of political stability in Japan.
Investors are also watching how French politics evolves as President Emmanuel Macron said he would name a new prime minister by Friday evening — a decision that will define the rest of his tenure and will put the stability of the country and its economy in the balance.
The Argentine peso rebounded after the US rushed to stabilize the country’s economy, offering $20 billion in financing and carrying out a rare intervention in currency markets after weeks of sharp declines.
In the US, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has recalled staff to prepare a key inflation report that is necessary to calculate the size of next year’s Social Security checks, according to a Labor Department official with knowledge of the matter.
What Bloomberg strategists say…
“The growing momentum for the greenback is spurring a fresh squeeze for overstretched dollar bears. There seems to be still plenty of money hanging on to bearish dollar positions in the hope that the ‘sell America’ narrative from early 2025 makes a return. If that’s so then further dollar squeezes are on the cards.”
— Garfield Reynolds, MLIV Asia Team Leader. Click here for the full analysis.
Investors are also focused on the recent strength of the dollar.
The world’s primary reserve currency is around a two-month high, even as the US government shutdown drags on, and traders in Asia and Europe say hedge funds are adding options bets that the rebound versus most major peers will extend into year-end.
“While further dollar upside may be limited without a notable rise in real yields, another leg higher in US Treasury yields could spark broader risk-asset corrections,” wrote Dilin Wu, a strategist at Pepperstone Group.
Corporate News:
Samsung Electronics Co. shares jumped, on track to close at an all-time high, riding investor enthusiasm for its potential in artificial intelligence chips and renewed confidence in its conventional memory business. Chinese battery stocks fell as the nation will impose export controls on some lithium batteries, critical materials, and related technology and equipment effective Nov. 8, according to a statement Thursday. Seven & i shares dropped after the company lowered its full-year outlook below analyst expectations, citing weakness in its domestic convenience store business. SoftBank Group Corp. is in talks to borrow $5 billion from global banks, refilling its coffers at a time Masayoshi Son is accelerating the Japanese investment firm’s bets on artificial intelligence. Apple Inc. is preparing to expand the roles of some top executives in response to the pending departure of longtime Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams. Some of the main moves in markets:
Stocks
S&P 500 futures rose 0.1% as of 6:50 a.m. London time Nasdaq 100 futures rose 0.2% The MSCI Asia Pacific Index fell 0.8% Japan’s Topix fell 1.7% Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 1.5% The Shanghai Composite fell 0.8% Euro Stoxx 50 futures were little changed Currencies
The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index fell 0.1% The euro rose 0.1% to $1.1576 The Japanese yen rose 0.2% to 152.80 per dollar The offshore yuan rose 0.1% to 7.1291 per dollar The British pound was little changed at $1.3312 Cryptocurrencies
Bitcoin rose 0.3% to $121,581.08 Ether rose 0.6% to $4,366.65 Bonds
The yield on 10-year Treasuries declined one basis point to 4.13% Japan’s 10-year yield was little changed at 1.695% Australia’s 10-year yield advanced one basis point to 4.36% Commodities
Spot gold was little changed West Texas Intermediate crude fell 0.2% to $61.37 a barrel This story was produced with the assistance of Bloomberg Automation.
–With assistance from Kelly Li and Carmeli Argana.
©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
