Asian Markets Track Wall Street Mostly Lower

Market Overview - Asian stock markets are mostly trading lower, influenced by negative cues from Wall Street, particularly in technology stocks amid valuation concerns and the impact of artificial intelligence [1][15] - The Australian stock market is sharply lower, with the S&P/ASX 200 falling below the 8,750 level, driven by weakness across all segments, especially mining stocks [2][3] Australian Market Details - The S&P/ASX 200 Index is down 159.40 points or 1.79 percent to 8,729.80, after reaching a low of 8,714.10 [3] - Major miners are experiencing declines: Rio Tinto down 0.4 percent, BHP Group down almost 3 percent, Fortescue down almost 1 percent, and Mineral Resources down more than 4 percent [3] - Oil stocks are also weak, with Santos down more than 1 percent, Woodside Energy down almost 2 percent, and Beach Energy down almost 4 percent [4] - Among tech stocks, Afterpay-owner Block is down almost 7 percent, WiseTech Global down almost 5 percent, and Appen down almost 9 percent [4] Banking and Gold Mining Sector - In the banking sector, ANZ Banking and National Australia Bank are down more than 1 percent each, while Commonwealth Bank and Westpac are down 0.1 percent each [5] - Gold miners are facing significant losses, with Evolution Mining and Northern Star Resources down more than 2 percent each, and Newmont and Genesis Minerals down more than 6 percent each [5] Company-Specific News - REA Group shares are down more than 10 percent after first-half financial results missed analysts' expectations [6] - Web Travel Group shares plummeted almost 29 percent following an audit announcement by the Spanish Tax Agency [6] Japanese Market Overview - The Japanese market is showing a mixed performance, with the Nikkei 225 Index up 255.48 points or 0.47 percent to 54,073.52 after earlier lows [7][8] - SoftBank Group is gaining almost 2 percent, while Fast Retailing is down almost 1 percent [8] - In the banking sector, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial is up almost 2 percent, and Mizuho Financial is gaining more than 2 percent [9] Economic Indicators - Japan's household spending decreased by 2.9 percent month-on-month in December, missing forecasts [12][13]