Asian markets dip as investors weigh tech earnings, Gulf tensions

By Jiaxing Li HONG KONG, Oct 22 (Reuters) Asian stocks struggled to stay above water in early trade on Thursday, as tech earnings optimism provided only fleeting support amid lingering concerns over AI and uncertainty in the Gulf. MSCI s ​broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was down 0.2%, on track ‌for a fourth straight week of decline. Japan s Nikkei stock index gave up earlier gains to trade 0.4% lower, while Korean shares were down more than 1%. US stock futures, the S P 500 e-minis, were down 0.4% at 7,765.8. Overnight, the tech-heavy Nasdaq led Wall Street to a higher close as ‌better-than-expected earnings ​reports from market heavyweights helped ease some concerns over ⁠the sustainability and profitability of ⁠massive AI build-outs. Space X posted its first profit as a public company, Meta reported third-quarter revenue that beat expectations, while AI server maker Super Micro forecast quarterly revenue and profit margin that both topped estimates. However, Met