The Nikkei 225 Index Closes 1.98% Lower

The Nikkei 225 Index fell 0.8% to around 66,700 on Tuesday, declining for a second consecutive session and touching its lowest level in a month as escalating tensions in the Middle East dampened investor sentiment. President Donald Trump reinstated a blockade on Iranian vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, sending oil prices sharply higher and weighing on global equities amid renewed concerns that central banks may need to raise interest rates to contain inflation. Japanese stocks also followed a tech-led selloff on Wall Street overnight, as chipmakers came under heavy selling pressure on mounting concerns over the sustainability of the artificial intelligence trade. Technology and AI-related shares led the declines in Japan, including Kioxia Holdings (-1.5%), Taiyo Yuden (-2.3%), Murata Manufacturing (-3.1%), SoftBank Group (-2.2%), and Fujikura (-6.7%).

The Nikkei 225 Index decreased 1361 points or 1.98 percent on Monday to close at 67197 points. The decline was led by Taiyo Yuden (-19.55%), Yaskawa Electric (-14.34%) and Murata Manufacturing (-9.60%).

JP225 decreased to 66810.00 Index Points, the lowest since June 2026. Over the past 4 weeks, Japan Stock Market Index (JP225) lost 3.56%, and in the last 12 months, it increased 69.41%.