On 9 October 2026, the Nikkei opened at ¥68,648.50, down ¥393.61 from the previous day, as declines in US semiconductor stocks and concern about AI investment weighed on the market. Attention is expected to focus on movements around ¥68,000 and developments in the US market.
The Tokyo market opened with the Nikkei at ¥68,648.50, down ¥393.61 from the previous day, and the index fell as low as ¥68,427.47 in the morning. After a slight rise following the open, TOPIX stood at 4,082.06 as of 9:53, down 9.40 points from the previous day, as declines centered on semiconductor stocks weighed on the Nikkei.
In the morning session on 9 October, SoftBank Group weighed on the Nikkei by about ¥243.5, while selling spread to Fast Retailing, Advantest, Kioxia and other stocks as declines in US technology stocks spilled over into related names. In the US market, the SOX index fell more than 3% and the Nasdaq Composite fell 1.25%. Concern is spreading over the outlook for demand at AI-related companies.
The focus ahead is whether the Nikkei can find support around ¥68,000. While ¥68,000 is being watched as a short-term downside marker, some have pointed to the possibility of a deeper decline depending on movements in US semiconductor stocks. It will be important to assess a range of factors, including the profitability of AI investment and capital spending trends in the US, as well as oil prices and US interest rates.
The reported level of OpenAI's annualised revenue, which was below its previous forecast, has been cited as a background factor behind the decline in US semiconductor stocks. Major stocks including Nvidia, AMD, Micron, Broadcom, Intel and SanDisk all fell on 8 October. The spillover from US stocks into the Japanese market has intensified downward pressure on the Nikkei.