Japanese Shares Fall as Oil Extends Gains

2026-03-31 00:47 By Jam Kaimo Samonte 1 min. read

The Nikkei 225 Index fell 2.2% to below 50,800, while the broader Topix Index dropped 1.4% to 3,492 on Tuesday, marking a fourth consecutive session of losses as oil prices rallied further on fresh escalations in the Middle East conflict.

In recent developments, Iran struck a Kuwaiti oil tanker near a Dubai port, highlighting heightened risks for shipping in the Persian Gulf and further restricting global access to Middle East energy.

Markets continued to grapple with the potential inflation shock, causing a sharp selloff in equities.

Technology stocks led the decline, with steep losses from Kioxia Holdings (-5.8%), Advantest (-4.8%), Lasertec (-5.5%), Disco Corp (-4.8%), and SoftBank Group (-4.3%), while heavyweight financial, defense, and consumer stocks also came under pressure.

The Nikkei and Topix are set to fall more than 13% and 11%, respectively, for the month.



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Japanese Shares Fall as Oil Extends Gains
The Nikkei 225 Index fell 2.2% to below 50,800, while the broader Topix Index dropped 1.4% to 3,492 on Tuesday, marking a fourth consecutive session of losses as oil prices rallied further on fresh escalations in the Middle East conflict. In recent developments, Iran struck a Kuwaiti oil tanker near a Dubai port, highlighting heightened risks for shipping in the Persian Gulf and further restricting global access to Middle East energy. Markets continued to grapple with the potential inflation shock, causing a sharp selloff in equities. Technology stocks led the decline, with steep losses from Kioxia Holdings (-5.8%), Advantest (-4.8%), Lasertec (-5.5%), Disco Corp (-4.8%), and SoftBank Group (-4.3%), while heavyweight financial, defense, and consumer stocks also came under pressure. The Nikkei and Topix are set to fall more than 13% and 11%, respectively, for the month.
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