Asian stocks mostly down with tech firms back under pressure

HONG KONG: Most Asian markets sank on Thursday (Aug 6) with tech firms back under pressure after a four-day rebound amid lingering AI worries, while oil rose even as Iran said it was finalising a deal with Oman over the Strait of Hormuz.Investors have enjoyed a much-needed rally since Friday, following a month-long tech rout that slashed billions of dollars off valuations owing to concerns about the vast sums companies had pumped into artificial intelligence.The recovery started with Seoul - the poster child of the sell-off since June - soaring almost 18 per cent at the end of last week and recently battered chipmakers SK hynix and Samsung powering more than 25 per cent higher.That has fuelled speculation that the AI play was back as traders return to pick up bargain stocks. However, the r