A member of media stands near the screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) at a dealing room of Hana Bank in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, July 8, 2026.
Asian shares are mixed and oil prices have surged more than 2% after the U.S. launched strikes on Iran. Shares in Japan and South Korea fell following a retreat on Wall Street as the AI roller-coaster took tech shares sharply lower. On Tuesday, the S&P 500 fell 0.4% even though the majority of stocks within the index rose. The downturn for artificial-intelligence-related stocks dragged the Nasdaq composite down 1.2%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 0.2%. AI stocks worldwide have been swinging because of worries their prices have shot too high. Stocks also felt pressure from rising oil prices.