{"id":66738,"date":"2026-08-18T21:08:15","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T01:08:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/asian-markets-slump-on-wall-street-contagion-openai-growth-lags-anthropic\/66738\/"},"modified":"2026-08-18T21:08:15","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T01:08:15","slug":"asian-markets-slump-on-wall-street-contagion-openai-growth-lags-anthropic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/asian-markets-slump-on-wall-street-contagion-openai-growth-lags-anthropic\/66738\/","title":{"rendered":"Asian Markets Slump on Wall Street Contagion; OpenAI Growth Lags Anthropic"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Asian equities tumbled on Wednesday<\/strong>, with the <strong>Nikkei 225 (<a href=\"\/stock\/%5ENI225\">^NI225<\/a>)<\/strong> falling <strong>2.7%<\/strong> and Taiwan\u2019s <strong>TAIEX (<a href=\"\/stock\/%5ETWII\">^TWII<\/a>)<\/strong> sliding over <strong>2%<\/strong>, tracking a sharp sell-off on Wall Street fueled by rising <a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/energy\/crude-oil\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"12\" title=\"Crude oil\">oil prices<\/a> and inflation fears.<\/li>\n<li><strong>OpenAI\u2019s second-quarter revenue<\/strong> reached <strong>$6.7 billion<\/strong>, an <strong>18% sequential increase<\/strong> that notably lagged behind competitor <strong>Anthropic<\/strong>, which more than doubled its revenue to <strong>$11.6 billion<\/strong> in the same period.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Apple (<a href=\"\/stock\/AAPL\">AAPL<\/a>)<\/strong> announced a major overhaul of its <strong>EU App Store policies<\/strong>, replacing the controversial &quot;Core Technology Fee&quot; with a <strong>5% commission<\/strong> on digital transactions for alternative stores to settle Digital Markets Act disputes.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Geopolitical tensions escalated<\/strong> as President Trump reportedly instructed senior U.S. envoys to <strong>halt all talks with Iran<\/strong>, shifting strategy toward a &quot;strangle&quot; campaign while seeking a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this fall.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Regional Markets and Tech Volatility<\/h2>\n<p>Asian markets faced intense selling pressure on Wednesday as investors reacted to a global bond rout and surging energy costs. Japan\u2019s <strong>Nikkei 225 (<a href=\"\/stock\/%5ENI225\">^NI225<\/a>)<\/strong> dropped <strong>2.7%<\/strong>, while the <strong>TAIEX (<a href=\"\/stock\/%5ETWII\">^TWII<\/a>)<\/strong> in Taiwan plunged over <strong>500 points<\/strong>, a move analysts described as a technical correction following a massive 11-session rally. Despite the broader decline, Japanese companies have reported their <strong>largest earnings beat in five years<\/strong>, offering a <a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/metal\/silver\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"5\" title=\"silver price today\">silver<\/a> lining for long-term investors.<\/p>\n<p>In the semiconductor sector, <strong>SK Hynix (<a href=\"\/stock\/000660\">000660<\/a>)<\/strong> is working to finalize a tentative wage agreement with its union to avoid labor disruptions. Meanwhile, <strong>Samsung Electronics (<a href=\"\/stock\/005930\">005930<\/a>)<\/strong> committed <strong>240 billion won<\/strong> ($180 million) to establish a new HVAC production line in Gwangju, South Korea, as it diversifies its industrial footprint.<\/p>\n<h2>AI Sector: OpenAI vs. Anthropic<\/h2>\n<p>Leaked financial data revealed a shift in the AI landscape, with <strong>OpenAI<\/strong> showing &quot;tepid&quot; growth compared to its rival <strong>Anthropic<\/strong>. While OpenAI&#39;s revenue grew to <strong>$6.7 billion<\/strong>, its losses deepened due to massive compute expenditures. In contrast, <strong>Anthropic<\/strong> saw its revenue soar to <strong>$11.6 billion<\/strong>, reflecting strong enterprise adoption of its Claude models.<\/p>\n<p>The AI boom continues to impact Japanese industry, where traditional firms like <strong>Toto<\/strong> and <strong>Ajinomoto<\/strong> are seeing record profits from semiconductor materials. <strong>Toto<\/strong> reported a <strong>42% jump<\/strong> in operating profit from its ceramics division, which produces essential components for advanced chip manufacturing.<\/p>\n<h2>Commodities and Global Policy<\/h2>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/metal\/gold\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"gold price today\">Gold<\/a><\/strong> prices edged higher to approximately <strong>$4,424 per ounce<\/strong> as fading expectations for a September Federal Reserve rate hike provided support. However, the metal faces a technical ceiling near <strong>$4,450<\/strong>. <strong>Crude oil<\/strong> prices remained elevated, with <strong>Brent<\/strong> trading near <strong>$91 per barrel<\/strong>, driven by the deadlock in the Strait of Hormuz and the suspension of U.S.-Iran diplomatic channels.<\/p>\n<p>In South America, <strong>Venezuela<\/strong> signed a significant production-sharing contract with U.S.-based <strong>Hunt Oil<\/strong> and partnered with <strong>SLB (<a href=\"\/stock\/SLB\">SLB<\/a>)<\/strong> for reservoir studies. This move marks a critical step in revitalizing the country&#39;s oil sector amid ongoing global energy supply concerns.<\/p>\n<h2>Corporate and Political Developments<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Apple (<a href=\"\/stock\/AAPL\">AAPL<\/a>)<\/strong> significantly lowered its fee barriers in the European Union, moving to a <strong>26% commission<\/strong> for App Store purchases (down from 30%) and allowing alternative payment options. These changes, effective October 1, 2026, aim to satisfy EU regulators after months of friction.<\/p>\n<p>In U.S. politics, President Trump has tapped White House policy aide <strong>Heidi Overton<\/strong> to lead the <strong>FDA<\/strong>, seeking to stabilize the agency after the resignation of Marty Makary. Additionally, Florida primary voters rejected the re-election bid of Representative <strong>Cory Mills<\/strong> following a series of personal scandals, with former news anchor <strong>Ryan Elijah<\/strong> securing the GOP nomination.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways Asian equities tumbled on Wednesday, with the Nikkei 225 (^NI225) falling 2.7% and Taiwan\u2019s TAIEX (^TWII) sliding over 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