Asia markets retreat on Wall Street weakness

February 13, 2026 (MLN): Asia markets mostly traded lower on Friday, tracking declines on Wall Street as concerns over artificial intelligence (AI) disruption pushed the S&P 500 to a third consecutive day of losses.

In the U.S., certain sectors have come under pressure this year following the release of AI tools that could automate tasks currently performed by companies or squeeze their profit margins.

Shares of trucking and logistics firms declined on fears that AI-driven efficiencies in freight operations may reduce demand for traditional services, according to CNBC.

Software stocks including Palantir Technologies and Autodesk also slipped in recent weeks amid disruption concerns.

Real estate and financial stocks were among the other laggards, with commercial real estate brokers extending losses for a second straight session.

Overnight, U.S. markets closed sharply lower. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.34%, weighed down by Cisco Systems, which tumbled 12% after issuing disappointing quarterly guidance.

The S&P 500 dropped 1.57%, while the Nasdaq Composite declined 2.03%.

In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 lost 0.72%, after briefly touching 58,000 a day earlier, while the Topix fell 0.92%, dragged lower by energy stocks.

South Korea’s Kospi rose 0.31%, the only major index in positive territory, whereas the Kosdaq retreated 1.75%.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index declined 1.69%, pressured by basic materials stocks, and the mainland’s CSI 300 fell 0.51%.

Taiwan’s market was closed for the Lunar New Year holiday.

Hong Kong-listed Zhipu AI, trading as Knowledge Atlas Technology, extended its rally, rising 16% after a near-30% surge in the previous session, supported by enthusiasm over its open-source GLM 5 model.

MiniMax gained more than 11%, building on momentum from its updated M2.5 model and enhanced AI agent tools.

Meanwhile, Beijing Haizhi Technology Group shares surged over 260% following a $97m IPO.

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