Asian stocks drop on fears of US-Russia war over Syria

• Asian equities under pressure, S&P 500 futures rise.  
• Escalating tensions in middle east and fears of US-Russia war keeps equity bulls at the bay.

The major Asian equity markets are putting up a mixed performance amid escalating tensions in the middle east.

Scorecard: Japan's Nikkei index is trading in the sideways manner. Stocks in Australia and New Zealand are down 0.3 percent and 0.7 percent, respectively. Also, the Shanghai Composite is down 0.45 percent. Meanwhile, South Korea's Kospi and Hong Kong's Hang Seng are reporting marginal gains.

Investors fear the Russian military could retaliate if President Trump decides to strike Russia, resulting in a shooting war. The equity markets and other risky assets will likely remain under pressure unless the US-Russia tensions fade.

However, the S&P 500 futures are up 0.16 percent, indicating the US equities could regain poise.