GLOBAL MARKETS-Stocks falter on AI worries, oil spikes on Iran concerns

Global markets wavered on Tuesday as investors weighed concerns about the durability of an AI-led rally and rising Middle East tensions pushed oil higher. Early trading showed the Nasdaq Composite down 0.97%, the S&P 500 down 0.32%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average was flat. The move followed Samsung Electronics forecasting a 19-fold jump in April-June operating profit to 89.4 trillion won ($58.4 billion), but the strong outlook triggered heavy selling in Samsung and rival SK Hynix, pressuring South Korea’s Kospi and other technology-heavy Asian markets. Investors questioned whether AI-linked profit growth can be sustained if memory-chip supply constraints ease. Separately, Brent crude futures rose about 1.9% to $73.37 a barrel after reports that U.S.-Iran peace talks were losing momentum and that Iran’s Revolutionary Guards fired missiles at commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Investors also monitored a major SK Hynix Nasdaq listing valued at $28 billion.