People walk across a footbridge with a screen showing financial market movements at the financial district of Shanghai on August 19, 2026. [AFP]
Oil prices fell on Monday as investors braced for details of a US plan to isolate the Iranian economy that President Donald Trump billed as the "most crushing" financial operation ever against Tehran.
Asian stocks were mostly down in early trading, with South Korea's tech-rich Kospi falling 1.4 percent after Samsung Electronics said it spent a massive $80 billion to buy back its own shares following weeks of turbulent trading.
The chip giant's shares, along with those of rival SK hynix, peaked in June on optimism for the artificial intelligence boom, but have since fallen amid investor jitters and a broader tech rout.
In an important week for AI, investors are also looking towards an earnings report from Nvidia, the world's most valuable company and a bellwether for the sector.
The recurring question for the US chipmaker is whether the AI boom will continue to accelerate as the technology takes over more corners of the broader economy.
"The spending machine is still running, but the bill is getting heavier," said Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management.