The Nikkei 225 Index Closes 4.52% Lower

The Nikkei 225 Index dropped 4.15% to close at 69,361, while the broader Topix Index lost 1.32% to 3,963 on Friday, giving back the previous session's gains as technology stocks came under renewed pressure amid persistent concerns over heavy spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure. SoftBank Group also plunged nearly 13% after reports that OpenAI may delay its initial public offering until 2027, pushing back potential returns for the Japanese investor. Other technology shares followed suit, including Kioxia Holdings (-11.2%), Fujikura (-4.7%), Advantest (-9.6%), Tokyo Electron (-3.2%), and Taiyo Yuden (-10.8%). On the economic front, data showed Tokyo's core inflation accelerated for the first time in eight months, reinforcing expectations that the Bank of Japan will continue raising interest rates.

The Nikkei 225 Index dropped 3271 points or 4.52 percent on Friday to close at 69095 points. Losses were led by Softbank (-12.19%), Taiyo Yuden (-11.48%) and Advantest (-10.67%).

The Nikkei 225 Index fell 2.8% to below 70,400, while the broader Topix Index slipped 0.7% to 3,987 on Friday, giving back the previous session's gains as technology stocks came under renewed selling pressure after Thursday's strong rally. Japanese equities also tracked a volatile session on Wall Street, where losses in megacap technology stocks outweighed optimism driven by a bullish outlook for memory-chip makers. Among the biggest decliners were Kioxia Holdings (-4.1%), SoftBank Group (-10.8%), Advantest (-6.2%), Tokyo Electron (-2.3%), and Taiyo Yuden (-8.3%). On the economic front, data showed Tokyo's core inflation rate accelerated for the first time in eight months, reinforcing expectations that the Bank of Japan will continue raising interest rates.