The Nikkei Average opened the afternoon session at ¥65,141.41, down ¥736.21 from the previous day. Following the Nikkei's decline, losses were pronounced among leading Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market stocks, with Nippon Steel, Nidec and Sumitomo Mitsui among those weakening.
According to the overview at the opening of the afternoon session, the Nikkei Average stood at ¥65,141.41, down ¥736.21 from the previous day, opening with a wider decline than at the morning close. Nikkei 225 futures continued to trade weakly within a narrow range during the lunch break, while dollar-yen moved around ¥157.30-157.40 per dollar. Overseas, the Shanghai Composite was little changed and the Hang Seng traded slightly lower. Selling led the afternoon session from the morning close.
All sectors fell, with notable declines in oil and coal products, securities and commodities futures, and iron and steel. Among the stocks with the highest trading value, Nippon Steel, Nidec, Resonac, Sumitomo Mitsui, Mitsubishi Corporation, SoftBank Group, Mitsui & Co., Mitsubishi UFJ, IHI and MS&AD all fell. In contrast, Disco, SCREEN Holdings, Lasertec, Sony Group, KOKUSAI, Tokyo Electron, Recruit Holdings, Keyence, JT and OLC rose.
The key market point was that the Nikkei Average continued to decline in the afternoon, with selling leading across sectors. Decliners included many major capital goods and financial stocks, while gainers included semiconductor- and IT-related stocks. The article focuses on the Nikkei Average and individual stock movements, tracking the opening session and the performance of major stocks.