Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index opened down 30.40 points (-0.35%) at 8,762.80 on Oct 23 (Friday).

SK Hyper is negotiating with major tech firms and financial investors to finance a data centre project estimated at $350bn. The SK Group unit targets 15GW of capacity in South Korea by 2035. CEO Chung Suk-geun said the initial 5GW phase alone will cost $350bn including equipment. The company aims to close a first external funding round by year-end or early 2027 and to continue raising capital over the next three to four years. SK plans to share construction costs with data-centre tenants and external investors, amid a global AI infrastructure buildout despite market demand concerns.

恐慌指數VIX上漲1.87點，至18.55。