SynopsisAsian markets and US futures declined. Broadcom's weak forecast impacted investor sentiment. Renewed US-Iran clashes also weighed on markets. However, a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon brought some relief. Brent crude prices saw a slight dip following this development. Investors are closely watching geopolitical events.AgenciesStocks in Japan and South Korea slipped, sending the MSCI Asia Pacific Index 1% lower after a four-day rally that carried it to a record. Contracts for the Nasdaq 100 Index slipped 0.6% as chipmaker Broadcom’s outlook failed to impress investors. The company’s shares fell 14% in extended trading.Asian stocks fell alongside US equity-index futures following a weak forecast from Broadcom Inc. and after renewed US-Iran clashes weighed on sentiment.Stocks in Japan and South Korea slipped, sending the MSCI Asia Pacific Index 1% lower after a four-day rally that carried it to a record. Contracts for the Nasdaq 100 Index slipped 0.6% as chipmaker Broadcom’s outlook failed to impress investors. The company’s shares fell 14% in extended trading.Wall Street gauges pulled back from all-time highs on Wednesday after the US and Iran exchanged fire overnight, drawing Kuwait and Bahrain into one of the most serious flare-ups since a ceasefire took effect in early April. Some relief for markets came early Thursday after the US announced a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. Brent crude edged 0.7% lower to $97.10 a barrel after the announcement.Investors have poured into artificial-intelligence stocks this year, helping propel global equities to successive records. A weaker-than-expected forecast from Broadcom will test confidence in the trade, while renewed tensions in the Middle East and concerns about interest rates staying higher for longer added to market caution.“Amber signals had been flashing that risk appetite was waning and needed a new catalyst to be whetted,” wrote Kyle Rodda, senior analyst at Capital.com.Some investors also warned that the booming artificial-intelligence market is showing signs of a bubble that will eventually burst.“All great technology changes produce bubbles,” billionaire investor Ray Dalio, the founder of Bridgewater Associates, said in a Bloomberg Television interview Wednesday.Elsewhere, the dollar, the haven of choice during the Middle East conflict, gained the most in two weeks during the New York session. Non-interest-bearing gold fell 1.2% to $4,434 an ounce. Elevated oil prices and signs of resilience in the US labor market sent Treasuries lower Wednesday, as traders increased bets that the Federal Reserve’s next move will be to raise interest rates. In Asia, the yen hovered near the 160-per-dollar level after comments from Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda that make an interest rate hike this month sound likely but not certain.Attention also turned to the US labor market, where data showed companies added the most jobs since January 2025, suggesting hiring momentum remains intact despite higher energy costs. If confirmed by Friday’s payrolls report, the figures may reinforce expectations that the Fed is more likely to raise rates in the months ahead.Investors will get another read on the labor market on Thursday with weekly jobless claims, ahead of the government’s monthly employment report on Friday.Fed Bank of Dallas President Lorie Logan said policymakers may need to raise rates later this year to bring inflation back to target. Separately, New York Fed President John Williams told Yahoo Finance that the outlook for rates remains uncertain.“If incoming US data continue to surprise positively, investors may increasingly express a more hawkish Fed view through renewed dollar strength, particularly against lower- and zero-yielding currencies and commodities like the Japanese yen and gold,” said Fawad Razaqzada at Forex.com.Read More News on(What's moving Sensex and Nifty Track latest market news, stock tips, Budget 2025, Share Market on Budget 2025 and expert advice, on ETMarkets. Also, ETMarkets.com is now on Telegram. For fastest news alerts on financial markets, investment strategies and stocks alerts, subscribe to our Telegram feeds .) Subscribe to ET Prime and read the Economic Times ePaper Online.and Sensex Today. 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