Regional Asian Equities Lower Amid Tech Slide, Eyes on Nvidia Earnings

Regional Asian Equities are lower today after technology stocks led Wall Street broadly lower on Tuesday, with investors waiting for chipmaker Nvidia's quarter-earning report. There was little in the way of economic data or market headlines today.

• Japan equities are lower today as tech stocks; the semiconductor index slipped 1.6% during the US session on Tuesday. Softbank, down 2.00%, has contributed to most of the decline in the Topix, which is off 0.30%, while the Nikkei 225 trades 0.28% lower. Japan's January export data surprised to the upside, hitting 11.9% vs. the expected 9.5%, led mostly by demand from chip-making machinery in China.
• Taiwan equities are lower today, weighed down by tech, especially semiconductor stocks. TMSC, down 0.87%, has contributed the most to the fall in the Taiex, which is down 0.37%.
• South Korean equities are also lower today as tech names pull the market down; foreign equity outflows have also increased today, totaling -173.7 million in outflows so far today, marking the highest outflow day since Jan 17th. The KOSPI currently trades 0.13% lower.
• In Australia today, wage growth data was out, beating expectations, coming in at 4.2% vs. 4.1%. Equities were lower today, with miners contributing to the bulk of the weakness as the price of iron ore declines on the back of China's outlook demand. The ASX200 finished down 0.77%.
• Elsewhere in SEA, New Zealand Equities finished the day higher, up 0.17%, while Thailand equities are higher, up 1% after the PM called for rate cuts.