The Nikkei continued to fall on the 14th, with market activity restrained by rising crude oil prices and the weakening yen as expectations of a slowdown linked to safety concerns over US AI development spread.
In Tokyo trading on the 14th, the Nikkei Stock Average continued to decline, closing 0.8% below the previous weekend’s close at ¥63,492.99. It fell as much as ¥1,285 during the day, while the TOPIX traded around 4,070, up 0.7%. Reports that CEOs of US AI companies were calling for a slowdown in development over safety concerns weighed on AI-related stocks, which at times appeared to fall from the market’s focus.
Investor caution increased after Dario Amodei (ダリオ・アモデイ), CEO of US AI company Anthropic, referred to the serious risks posed by AI, and reports said OpenAI CEO Sam Altman (サム・アルトマン) also supported reviewing the pace of development. Trading in trading house stocks was firm on higher crude oil prices, while bank and insurance stocks also attracted buying.
In the foreign exchange market, the yen fell to the low ¥154s against the dollar. Dollar buying prevailed amid worsening conditions in the Middle East and rising crude oil prices. With the Bank of Japan’s next meeting also approaching, a cautious stance continued across financial markets.
In the bond market, trading reflected expectations for the 20-year bond auction. Selling in long-term bonds was restrained, while futures edged higher. It was suggested that movements in interest rates after the auction could be affected by the issuer’s actions. Among individual stocks, Kioxia and others stood out for their declines, while resource-related stocks were relatively firm on higher crude oil prices.