Stock market today: Japan’s Nikkei leads Asian market retreat as Middle East tensions flare

Asian stocks have tumbled, with Japan’s Nikkei slumping 2.4% on heavy selling of semiconductor-related shares and other market heavyweights. Tensions in the Middle East were weighing on sentiment across the region. Oil prices jumped as the state-run IRNA news agency reported that Iran fired air defense batteries early Friday morning after reports of explosions near the city of Isfahan. On Thursday, U.S. stocks drifted to a mixed finish in quiet trading. The S&P 500 index fell 0.2%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.5% following a mixed set of profit reports from big companies.