[MARKET ANALYSIS] Asia-Pac equities broadly lower, weighed on by higher energy prices and continued tech worries

Asia-Pac stocks trade mixed, with Chinese indices the only region in the green amid multiple IPOs. Sentiment from the US session carried over in the Asia-Pac session, as energy prices surged amid the re-escalation of US-Iran tensions. ASX 200 continues to be weighed on by metals, with the Metals & Mining sector the worst performer, with Materials following. Topping the sector pile is Energy, which is not surprising considering the surge in oil prices.  Nikkei 225 started on the softer side but briefly returned to the unchanged mark before returning to the downside.  KOSPI slumped at the start of trade, opening with losses in excess of 2.5%, before completely reversing to print gains as much as 1.0%. However, the upside was short-lived.  Shanghai Comp. and Hang Seng. are the only indices printing gains, with outperformance in the Hang Seng after the introduction of IPOs. One highly-watched IPO was Momenta Global, which saw gains as much as 5% before returning to the IPO price.  US equity futures started futures trade on the backfoot but gained a boost during the reversal of the KOSPI, with index futures now flat/modestly higher.  European equity futures are indicative of a muted open with the Euro Stoxx 50 future U/C after cash closed -1.2% on Tuesday.