Global Market Today: From Wall Street to Asia, markets retreat as tech-led selloff sparks global risk aversion

Group 1: Alphabet's Financial Performance - Alphabet reported a significant increase in capital expenditure, targeting $175 billion to $185 billion for the year, which is sharply above analysts' estimates [1][11] - Following the announcement, Alphabet's shares experienced volatility, dropping over 6% at one point before closing just 0.4% lower in after-hours trading [1][11] - Analyst Tony Sycamore noted the enormity of the capex increase, suggesting that the market's reaction could have been more negative given the current sensitivity around software companies and AI valuations [5][11] Group 2: Market Trends and Investor Behavior - Investors are shifting from technology giants to defensive stocks like Walmart due to concerns over AI's impact on jobs, leading to a selloff that has erased approximately $830 billion in market value since January 28 [2][11] - The MSCI index for Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell by 1.7%, with South Korea's KOSPI dropping 3.6% and Taiwanese shares losing 1.1%, although financials and real estate sectors showed resilience [2][11] - U.S. stock futures showed initial recovery attempts but quickly lost momentum, with Nasdaq futures and S&P 500 both down 0.1% [5][11] Group 3: Commodity Market Movements - Precious metals saw a significant decline, with silver prices tumbling 15% to $74.6 per ounce, while gold fell 1.8% to $4,863 per ounce [7][11] - Bitcoin prices decreased by 1.8% to $71,404, marking the lowest level since November 2024 [6][11] - Oil prices also fell, with U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude down 1.4% to $64.23 per barrel and Brent crude futures dropping 1.4% to $68.47 per barrel [10][11]