Asian Markets Plunge Led by Nikkei and KOSPI Amid AI Sector Sell-off

Key Facts

South Korea's KOSPI index plunged more than 8%, triggering a temporary trading halt to curb market volatility. Fox Business reported that Japan's Nikkei 225 index dropped 6.2% to reach 57,271.19 during morning trading on November 6, 2026. These sharp declines in Asian markets followed a widespread sell-off of artificial intelligence-related stocks on Wall Street that spilled over into regional tech-heavy benchmarks.

The sell-off hit major regional players, with Samsung Electronics falling nearly 10% and SK Hynix dropping 11.7%, while SoftBank Group sank approximately 11%. Investors are weighing the impact of potential increased regulation on the AI sector following US election results, which has pressured technology and semiconductor companies across Asia.

Traders in Japan are looking ahead to November 9, 2026, for the release of Household Spending data and the Bank of Japan's Summary of Opinions. The Current Account figures are also scheduled for release on the same day, which may provide further context on the domestic economic environment following this period of market turbulence.