Shares skidded in Asia on Wednesday after Wall Street closed lower for a second straight day, led by drops in technology companies and banks.

Worsening coronavirus outbreaks in Asia have cast a shadow over prospects for a rebound from the pandemic. โปรโมชั่น slotxo Tokyo's Nikkei 225 fell more than 2% and other benchmarks also declined.

On Tuesday, the S&P 500 gave back 0.7%, pulling the index further below the record high it set on Friday. Small-company stocks, which have been beating the rest of the market in recent months, fell more than other sectors.

Asian governments are scrambling to secure supplies of COVID-19 vaccines after seeing infection numbers surge in recent weeks. The rising caseloads are straining medical systems from Japan to India and leading to a restoration of pandemic precautions such as travel restrictions, quarantine requirements and a dimming of nightlife.

The Nikkei 225 in Tokyo gave up 2.2% to 28,462.20 while Hong Kong's Kospi declined 1.8% to 28,609.39. In Seoul, the Kospi lost 1.6% to 3,170.13, while Sydney's S & P / ASX 200 shed 1.6% to 6,907.10 despite strong retail sales data. The Shanghai Composite index edged 0.2% lower to 3,467.42.

“Global stocks are still plumbing the lows after renewed virus concerns spooked markets overnight,” Stephen Innes of Axi said in a commentary.

Worsening outbreaks in India and Thailand have also cast a pall on a recovery in travel, which in turn is clouding the outlook for oil and fuel prices, he said.

On Wednesday the S&P 500 closed at 4,134.94. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.8% to 33,821.30. After shedding an early gain, the technology-heavy Nasdaq slid 0.9%, to 13,786.27.

Apple fell 1.3% as part of a broad slide in technology companies. Banks also accounted for a big share of the selling, which came as bond yields fell, reversing course after moving higher on Monday.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 1.56% from 1.60%. Bank of America dropped 2.8% and Citigroup slid 3.2%.

Investors have turned defensive, favoring utilities, real estate stocks and a mix of companies that make consumer staples like food and household products. General Mills rose 1.6% and Clorox added 3%.

The market has been swaying between gains and record highs to pullbacks as investors weigh solid economic growth against the risks still posed by the pandemic. That push and pull will likely continue as vaccine distribution rolls on and various industries reopen.