In the weekly margin trading data as of 16 October, both short and long positions declined from the previous week while the margin ratio rose as the Nikkei remained soft. Application data for 16 October showed short positions of ¥667 billion and long positions of ¥6.664 trillion.
As of 16 October, combined margin balances on the 2 markets showed short positions down ¥95 billion from the previous week and long positions down ¥44.1 billion. Both short and long positions trended lower as the Nikkei remained soft.
During the week, US technology stock selling and the impact of ASML Holding’s results weighed on the Nikkei on the 13th. The index rebounded at times on the 14th but fell in the afternoon, while AI-related stocks were sold on the 15th as concerns over US emerging AI stocks grew. As a result, the Nikkei fell sharply over the week, declining by approximately ¥3,706 in total and forming a bearish candlestick for the second consecutive week.
The margin ratio rose, but the absolute value of both short and long positions declined, indicating a change in the margin trading structure alongside the broader market weakness.
The application date for the week was 10/16. Short positions stood at ¥667 billion, long positions at ¥6.664 trillion, week-on-week changes were -¥95.0 billion and -¥44.05 billion, respectively, and the margin ratio was 9.99x.