Markets across the Asia-Pacific region were largely down on Friday, following losses stateside as tech stocks faced pressure due to AI-disruption concerns. The Algorhythm Holdings (RIME) release of its AI freight scaling tool also weighed on logistics and industrial stocks in the region. Meanwhile, US President Trump expressed optimism about reaching a deal with Iran within the next month, while also highlighting the positive state of the US-China relationship. European equity futures pointed to an uneventful cash market open, with losses of 0.1% seen in Euro Stoxx 50 futures after the cash market closed on Thursday.

Looking ahead, investors will be eyeing key economic data releases such as German Wholesale Prices (Jan), Swiss CPI (Jan), EZ Prelim Employment (Q4), GDP 2nd Estimate (Q4), US CPI (Jan), and earnings reports from Moderna & NatWest. In addition, speeches by ECB’s de Guindos, BoE’s Pill, and other notable market participants will be closely watched for any insights into monetary policy direction.

In the tech sector, concerns about AI disruption continued to weigh on investor sentiment, with many analysts warning of a potential slowdown in growth due to increased competition and regulatory scrutiny. This has led some to question whether the current valuations of major tech firms are sustainable in the long term. Meanwhile, geopolitical tensions between the US and China remain a key factor influencing global markets, with both sides engaging in a series of diplomatic and trade-related moves in recent weeks.

In other news, US President Trump announced that he will be traveling to China in April, with Chinese President Xi expected to visit the US later this year. While Trump characterized the relationship between the two nations as “very good right now,” some analysts have expressed concerns about the potential for trade tensions to escalate in the coming months.