The Nikkei 225 fell sharply after the holiday weekend, as declines in the South Korean market spread to Japan. China’s CXMT reported remarkable progress in DRAM development. CXMT said it plans to launch new server memory products by year-end.
As of 10:30 a.m. Tokyo time, the Nikkei 225 had fallen sharply to 67,224.19, down 1,806.73 points, while South Korea’s KOSPI also declined significantly. Concerns over the situation in the Middle East, which is driving up crude oil prices, and the decline in South Korean stocks have spread to the Japanese market.
China’s major semiconductor maker CXMT is reported to have announced “remarkable progress” in DRAM development. There is growing speculation that CXMT’s technological advances could affect the competitive environment for South Korea’s Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, as well as US-based Micron.
CXMT is said to have improved memory density and efficiency through its proprietary circuit design, and is reportedly planning to launch server memory products incorporating the new technology by the end of this year.
In the South Korean market, SK hynix and Samsung Electronics recorded declines of more than 6%, reaching their lowest levels in two months.