European and Asian stock markets struggled for direction Wednesday following a tech-fuelled sell-off on Wall Street, while precious metals recovered further. LONDON: European and Asian stock markets struggled for direction Wednesday following a tech-fuelled sell-off on Wall Street, while precious metals recovered further. London's FTSE 100 index rose one per cent, with drugmaker GSK gaining more than three per cent after reporting a sharp rise in annual net profit. "The dust settled on Wednesday after a dramatic session for tech-related stocks amid new AI disruption," said Dan Coatsworth, head of markets at AJ Bell. Wall Street investors were spooked Tuesday by news that AI startup Anthropic - which created the Claude chatbot - had revealed a tool that could be used by firms to carry out legal work.

Source: New Strait Times February 04, 2026 12:53 UTC