EMERGING MARKETS-Asian stocks waver as IT selloff bites; Seoul, Singapore hit record highs

Updates for afternoon trade

By Sneha Kumar

Feb 4 (Reuters) - Equities in emerging Asian economies wobbled in afternoon trade on Wednesday as investors sold off technology stocks, while auto and battery makers helped South Korean shares notch a record closing high.

The MSCI gauge of Asian emerging stocks .MIMS00000PUS inched higher after trending in negative territory for much of the Asian session, driven by a 1.6% gain in South Korea's benchmark KOSPI index .KS11.

A global selloff in information technology stocks spilled into Asia after AI firm Anthropic launched workplace productivity tools, raising concerns of disruption across the sector. MKTS/GLOB

The MSCI index of emerging Asia information technology stocks .MIMS0IT00PUS slipped 0.7%. China's CSI Software Services Index .CSI930601 fell 1.8%, while technology giants listed in Hong Kong .HSTECH lost 1%.

India's IT shares .NIFTYIT plunged nearly 7%, with sector heavyweights Infosys INFY.NS and TCS TCS.NS falling between 7% and 8%.

"Software stocks were especially hard hit because Anthropic rolled out new tools for its Cowork product," analysts at Yardeni Research said in a note.

"It is too soon to tell how useful the new tools will be, but investors decided to cut the valuation multiples of software stocks."

In South Korea, the KOSPI index .KS11 extended gains to notch a record closing high. Car makers Hyundai Motor 005380.KS and Kia Corp 000270.KS rose about 2% each, while battery maker LG Energy Solution 373220.KS jumped 3%.

Chipmaker Samsung Electronics 005930.KS gained 1% to post a record close after trading in negative territory for much of the session, while peer SK Hynix 000660.KS slipped 0.8%.

Tech-heavy Taiwan shares .TWII climbed 0.3%. Financials and industrial stocks were among the major gainers, while top contract chipmaker TSMC 2330.TW slipped 0.8%.

Singapore stocks .STI hovered near their all-time highs, propped up by major banks, consumer, and industrial stocks.

Thailand shares .SETI rose 0.5%, while Philippine equities .PSI reversed course to slip 0.4%. Indonesia's Jakarta Composite index .JKSE dipped 0.4%, shedding almost 3% so far this week after last week's nearly 7% decline.

Limiting losses, Barito Pacific BRPT.JK and Chandra Asri Pacific TPIA.JK climbed 5.6% and 2.3%, respectively, after announcing market buybacks amid a market rout.

Regional currencies were largely subdued, with the Thai baht THB=TH gaining the most with a 0.3% rise ahead of the country's general election on February 8.

The South Korean won KRW=KFTC pared losses after the country's vice welfare minister said she hopes the National Pension Service will start issuing foreign-currency bonds by the end of the year.

In India, the rupee INR=INH slipped 0.2%, relinquishing some of the previous session's gains made after a trade deal that cut U.S. tariffs on Indian goods to 18% from 50%.

HIGHLIGHTS:

** Yield on Indonesia's 10-year bonds ID10YT=RR at 6.364%

** Nvidia's Huang dismisses fears AI will replace software tools as stock selloff deepens

** Thailand's ex-PM Abhisit returns to political fray in boost for his party

** KKR, Singtel pay $5.2 billion for full control of data centre operator STT GDC

(Reporting by Sneha Kumar in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)

((Sneha.kumar@thomsonreuters.com))