The Nikkei average fell sharply immediately after trading began on the 15th, declining by more than ¥3,200. The U.S. consumer price index and trends in AI-related stocks are believed to have contributed.
The Nikkei average fell sharply immediately after trading began on the 15th, declining by more than ¥3,200 during the morning session and ending at ¥64,489, down ¥3,255 from the previous day. Market participants expressed surprise at the size of the decline.
The causes cited included U.S. consumer prices exceeding market expectations and growing concerns over AI investment. AI- and semiconductor-related stocks were widely sold in the U.S. market the previous day, and selling pressure spread to the Japanese market.
Selling spread, led by AI-related stocks, driving the broader equity market lower. Market participants believe profit-taking selling is also emerging amid signs of overheating. Some expect the market could fall further depending on the direction of upcoming earnings announcements.
Some market participants expect difficult conditions to continue overall, and caution over the sense of overheating following the recovery to the ¥70,000 range is growing in the market.