S2E596: AI spending anxiety and escalating gulf tensions fuel regional tech selloff

Market news for October 22 2026: Asian equities suffered a sharp tech-led selloff as soaring artificial intelligence capital expenditure concerns collided with escalating Gulf geopolitical tensions. Brent crude surged past 111 dollars per barrel near a five-month high, while regional indexes plummeted amid mounting market anxiety.

Synopsis: Market Focus Daily is a closing bell roundup by The Business Times that looks at the day’s market movements and news from Singapore and the region.

Written by: Howie Lim (howielim@sph.com.sg)

Produced and edited by: Chai Pei Chieh & Claressa Monteiro

Produced by: BT Podcasts, The Business Times, SPH Media

Produced with AI text-to-speech capabilities

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