On the 17th in the Tokyo market, the Nikkei Stock Average plunged for a second day, closing at 64,141.12 yen, down 2,694.42 yen from the previous day. Following the sell-off in semiconductor stocks in the U.S. market the day before, related issues fell sharply, while position-adjustment selling ahead of a three-day weekend and the closure of the South Korean market spread widely. The Tokyo Stock Price Index, or TOPIX, fell 109.58 points to 3,919.21, with declining issues accounting for 69% of the total. In the foreign exchange market, the dollar-yen pair fell to the lower 162-yen range following Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks regarding the GPIF. Bond futures rebounded, with the lead long-term government bond futures contract rising 17 sen to 127.85 yen, and the yield on the newly issued 10-year government bond falling 0.005% to 2.705%. In the short-term money market, the preliminary weighted average rate for unsecured overnight call money was 0.977%. On the Tokyo Commodity Exchange, Dubai crude oil futures were mixed in narrow ranges, with the lead contract settlement price up 250 yen at 76,930 yen. On the Osaka Exchange, gold futures fell, with the lead contract settlement price down 139 yen at 21,338 yen. Finance Minister Katayama stated regarding exchange rate trends, 'We will take decisive action whenever necessary.'