Asian shares fall as chipmakers drag; US jobs data looms

Asian shares skidded on Thursday as investors rotated out of chipmakers following a stellar quarter, while currency and ​bond markets braced for US jobs data that could gives hints about the risk of interest rate hikes. Oil prices hit ‌new four-month lows, with Brent crude off 0.8% to $71 a barrel, as U.S. President Donald Trump said talks with Iran had gone well in Qatar, and as more oil tankers transited through the Strait of Hormuz. On Thursday, MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell 0.8%, while Japan’s Nikkei also dropped 1.1%, adding to losses ​from the first day of the quarter.