Stock market today: Japan leads losses in Asia after a sharp decline on Wall St driven by Big Tech

Asian stocks are mostly lower, with Japan’s benchmark Nikkei losing over 2%. The declines on Friday follow a sharp drop Thursday on Wall Street, driven by high expectations. United States futures and oil prices were higher. Factory activity in China went back into growth in October, ending five straight months of contraction. China markets rose. Shares of Apple suppliers in Asia dropped as Apple revealed a drop in sales revenue from China. The S&P 500 fell 1.9% Thursday for its worst loss in eight weeks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.9%, and the Nasdaq composite tumbled 2.8%. Both Microsoft and Meta delivered better profits than forecast for the latest quarter, but investors were expecting even more from them.