Risk aversion spread ahead of the US midterm elections, sending the Nikkei 225 sharply lower during the morning. The closing level was ¥60,835.36, down ¥2,246.50 from the previous day.
The Nikkei 225 fell sharply in the Tokyo stock market, with the morning close at ¥60,835.36, down ¥2,246.50 from the previous trading day. It fell below the ¥61,000 level at times for the first time since 29 July.
Risk aversion is intensifying as investors await the results of the US midterm elections, amid growing concerns about tighter AI regulation.
The decline in the Nikkei 225 was led by falls in AI and semiconductor-related stocks. Advantest, SoftBank Group and Tokyo Electron saw particularly steep declines, together dragging the Nikkei 225 down by more than ¥1,200.
As of 10:00 a.m. on the 4th, the overall result of the US midterm elections was not yet clear, but expectations that the Democrats would gain the upper hand were being reported. A wait-and-see stance toward developments ahead is spreading, particularly among retail investors.