Japanese Shares Drop on Tech Selloff
2026-07-16 00:35
By
Jam Kaimo Samonte
1 min. read
The Nikkei 225 Index fell 2.79% to close at 66,835, while the broader Topix Index declined 1.45% to 4,029 on Thursday, snapping a two-day winning streak as semiconductor shares came under renewed selling pressure amid persistent concerns over the sustainability of the artificial intelligence trade.
Investors also remained focused on escalating attacks in the Middle East, which have driven oil prices sharply higher this week and revived worries about inflation and the outlook for interest rates.
Meanwhile, data showed US producer prices unexpectedly declined in June, lowering expectations of a near-term Federal Reserve rate hike.
Among the biggest decliners were Japanese technology heavyweights, including Kioxia Holdings (-15), Tokyo Electron (-3.9%), SoftBank Group (-6.3%), Advantest (-5.3%), and Fujikura (-7.5%).