<div id="readability-page-1">Investing.com- Asian stocks fell on Friday as technology shares lost momentum amid stalled U.S.-Iran peace talks and a renewed surge in oil prices, while investors weighed slightly stronger inflation figures from Japan. Regional markets tracked overnight losses on Wall Street, where technology stocks, which had driven recent gains, came under pressure. U.S. stock index futures rose in Asian trading after President Donald Trump announced an extension of the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire. [[pro_promotion |Get premium Asia stock market insights with InvestingPro subscription ]] Strait of Hormuz tensions, tech losses drag Regional markets struggled to sustain recent gains after a strong rally driven by artificial intelligence-linked stocks. Investor sentiment was weighed down by still-elevated geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Stalled negotiations between Washington and Tehran, coupled with ongoing disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, kept crude prices elevated above $100 per barrel, stoking inflation concerns and dampening appetite for risk assets. President Trump's announcement of a ceasefire extension between Israel and Lebanon offered only limited support. South Korea's KOSPI index edged down 0.4% to 46,452.29 points, after hitting a record high of 6,557.56 points in the prior session. The benchmark was set to jump more than 4% this week with gains in heavyweight chipmaking stocks. China's Shanghai Composite index fell 0.5%, while the blue-chip Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 slipped 0.6%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng traded 0.5% lower, with the HSTECH sub-index declining 1%. Japan core CPI remains below BOJ target In Japan, government data released on Friday showed core consumer prices, which exclude fresh food, rose 1.8% year-on-year in March, up from 1.6% in February but still below the Bank of Japan’s 2% target. The Bank of Japan is set to meet next week, where the central bank is expected to keep interest rates unchanged, but reportedly signal willingness to hike rates. The Nikkei 225 index edged up 0.4% after hitting a record high on Thursday, while the broader TOPIX ticked 0.1% lower. Nikkei 225 was set to rise 1.5% for the week, with tech gains and earnings supporting gains. Elsewhere, Singapore's Straits Times Index fell 0.8%, while Australia's S&amp;P/ASX 200 dipped 0.5%. Futures tied to India's Nifty 50 rose 0.4%.</div>

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Asian stocks fell on Friday due to losses in technology shares and rising oil prices, influenced by stalled U.S.-Iran peace talks. Regional markets followed Wall Street's overnight losses, with South Korea's KOSPI down 0.4%, China's Shanghai Composite down 0.5%, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng down 0.5%. Japan's core CPI rose to 1.8% year-on-year, still below the Bank of Japan's 2% target. The Nikkei 225 edged up 0.4%, while the broader TOPIX dipped 0.1%. Overall, geopolitical tensions and inflation concerns dampened investor sentiment across Asia.

Asia stocks fall as tech losses, oil surge weigh; Japan CPI in focus