The Nikkei 225 Index Closes 0.29% Lower

The Nikkei 225 Index slipped 0.19% to close at 62,713, while the broader Topix Index fell 0.29% to 3,829 on Friday, paring gains from the previous session as renewed fighting between the US and Iran in the Strait of Hormuz weighed on sentiment and revived geopolitical concerns. Still, the Nikkei and Topix indexes advanced 5.38% and 2.7%, respectively, for the week, supported by an earlier rally in tech and AI-linked stocks. In corporate developments, Sony announced plans to repurchase up to ¥500 billion worth of its shares and projected an 11% increase in operating profit for the fiscal year ending March 2027, driven by solid growth in its music and smartphone image sensor businesses. Meanwhile, Nintendo said it will raise the retail price of the Switch 2 after forecasting weaker sales for its flagship console amid the ongoing memory chip shortage. Elsewhere, Toyota reported a 49% decline in fourth-quarter operating profit as US tariffs weighed on earnings.

The Nikkei 225 Index dropped 183 points or 0.29 percent on Friday to close at 62651 points. Losses were led by Yokogawa Electric (-9.24%), Softbank (-4.92%) and Daiwa Securities (-4.87%). Offsetting the fall, top gainers were Sumco (17.31%), Yaskawa Electric (6.85%) and Fanuc (5.71%).

Asian equity markets declined on Friday, pulling back from record highs as renewed hostilities between the US and Iran in the Strait of Hormuz revived geopolitical risk concerns. Three US Navy destroyers transiting the strategic waterway reportedly intercepted Iranian attacks and carried out retaliatory strikes, although President Donald Trump said the ceasefire remains in place. Benchmark indexes across Australia, Japan, South Korea, China, and Hong Kong all traded lower amid the cautious sentiment. Despite the pullback, regional markets are still on track to end the week in positive territory, supported by sustained momentum from strong earnings among major technology firms, which continue to underpin confidence in artificial intelligence-driven growth.