The Nikkei index on the Tokyo stock market closed at its lowest level in about two months today, falling 930.73 points or 1.49 percent to 61,434.19, pressured by a global sell-off in semiconductor and AI stocks. Investors were disappointed by SK Hynix earnings that came in below expectations, even though the company posted a record quarterly operating profit. Masahiro Ichikawa, chief market strategist at Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management, said weakness in technology shares weighed on sentiment, but rotation into automakers supported the Topix index and cushioned the Nikkei. Separately, shares of Aeon and Nippon Paper Industries faced short-term selling after reports of injuries and fatalities at a plant in Kumamoto Prefecture following an earthquake.
SK Hynix Inc
Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd.
AEON Co., Ltd.