Asian markets fall after Wall Street selloff; Japan's Nikkei enters bear market

Asian stock markets dropped sharply on November 6, 2026, following a steep decline on Wall Street. Japan's Nikkei fell over 6% and entered bear market territory, while South Korea's Kospi lost more than 5%. US futures signaled a mixed open.

The Wall Street meltdown is spreading to Asia: the continent's stock exchanges are recording sharp declines this morning (Friday), following the worst trading day recorded in the leading US indices since April 2025. In South Korea, the KOSPI plunges more than 5.2%, and in Japan, the Nikkei 225 index loses about 6.3% and enters bear market territory, defined as a decline of at least 20% from the last peak. Other exchanges in the region are also in the red: Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index falls 1.2%, China's CSI 300 weakens 1.8%, and Australia records a decline of 0.9%. Meanwhile, Wall Street futures signal a mixed trend ahead of today's market open, but also some calm. The market turmoil comes after an unusual trading day on Wall Street, during which the Nasdaq plunged 5.5% and completed a decline of more than 10% from its last peak. In the background, the significant victories of the Democrats in the US midterm elections raised fears of a possible slowdown in the establishment of data centers, along with growing concern over the high valuation of AI stocks. Later today, the US employment report for October is expected to be published, which may determine the direction of the markets.