Stock market today: Asian stocks mostly fall as Chinese shares skid despite moves to help markets

Asian stocks are mostly lower, with Chinese shares again leading the declines even after the market regulator pledged to crack down on abuses and protect small investors. The main index in the smaller market in Shenzhen sank 5.4% and the Shanghai Composite index slipped more than 2% before recovering some lost ground. On Friday, Big Tech shares carried Wall Street to another record. U.S. futures declined and oil prices were higher. Big gains for Meta Platforms and Amazon pushed the S&P 500 index up 1.1% Friday. The Nasdaq composite jumped 1.7%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose a more modest 0.3%. More stocks fell overall on Wall Street than rose.