Stock market today: Asian shares gain despite Wall Street's tech-led retreat

Asian shares advanced on Thursday even after sinking technology stocks sent Wall Street lower in the S&P 500's worse losing streak since the start of the year.

U.S. futures were lower, while oil prices gained.

Tokyo's Nikkei 225 climbed 0.3% to 38,079.70 and the Hang Seng in Hong Kong gained 1.3% to 16,468.07.

The Shanghai Composite index added 0.6% to 3,089.02.

South Korea's Kospi led the region's gains, surging 2.2% to 2,642.02.

In Australia, the S&P/ASX 500 rose 0.4% to 7,638.10.

On Wednesday, the S&P 500 lost 0.6%, to 5,022.21. It's down 4.4% since setting a record late last month.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.1% to 37,753.31, and the Nasdaq composite sank 1.1% to 15,683.37.

Tech stocks slumped after ASML, a Dutch company that’s a major supplier to the semiconductor industry, reported weaker orders for the start of 2024 than analysts expected. Its stock trading in the United States slumped 7.1%.

Nvidia dropped 3.9%, and Broadcom sank 3.5% to serve as the two heaviest weights on the S&P 500.

The weakness for tech overshadowed stronger-than-expected profit reports from some big companies, including United Airlines. It soared 17.4% after reporting stronger results for the start of the year than analysts expected, lifted by strong demand from business fliers.

Sharp tumbles for oil prices lessened investors’ worries about inflation, which in turn helped Treasury yields ease.

The 10-year Treasury yield sank to 4.58% from 4.67% late Tuesday. The two-year yield, which moves more closely with expectations for the Fed, fell to 4.92% from 4.99%.

Yields on Tuesday had returned to where they were in November after top officials at the Federal Reserve suggested the central bank may hold its main interest steady