This week, the balance between outflows from AI-related investments and underlying demand became a focus, and the Japanese stock market swung sharply. The Nikkei Stock Average fell substantially, while AI- and semiconductor-related stocks saw active trading.
Against the backdrop of a sharp rise in corporate bond yields at US AI data center giant CoreWeave, concerns about AI companies’ access to funding spread, prompting warnings about the risk of an AI bubble collapse. The market moved with this shock firmly in mind.
On the 15th, the Nikkei Stock Average fell ¥3,318 from the previous day, recording the third-largest decline in its history. As the sell-off spread broadly across stocks, AI- and semiconductor-related stocks once again attracted attention as the market’s main focus.
Meanwhile, the impact of advances in AI development on society is expanding, and demand for technology investment is expected to remain high. Rising corporate funding costs and debt risk continued to be key market concerns.
For investors, balancing capital recovery with high growth became a challenge. Some stocks also rose at times, leading to the view that the market would remain in a phase requiring investors to assess its future direction.