The Nikkei Stock Average endured a volatile session on the Tokyo stock market on Thursday, at one point plunging more than 1,100 points before clawing back some of its losses.

The benchmark index finished down 306.29 points to close at 64,693.12. Turnover on the Prime Market was heavy, with volume reaching approximately 2.69 billion shares and trading value totaling 10.87 trillion yen. Advancing issues narrowly outnumbered decliners 767 to 747, with 52 remaining unchanged.

While the market initially absorbed selling pressure from a prior drop in U.S. tech shares to stay firm during the morning, sentiment deteriorated rapidly in the afternoon session. Geopolitical jitters suddenly resurfaced on reports that U.S. forces had launched new strikes on Iranian military facilities and that Tehran had retaliated, dampening recent hopes for steady progress in ceasefire talks. Despite the risk-off mood, electronic component makers bucked the wider market weakness, drawing notable inflows on sustained artificial intelligence demand. Prime Market trading value topped the 10 trillion yen threshold for a second straight day, boosted in part by TOPIX-linked portfolio rebalancing.

Heavyweight decliners included tech and semiconductor-related shares such as SoftBank Group Corp <9984>, Advantest <6857>, Lasertec <6920>, Disco <6146>, Fujikura <5803>, Furukawa Electric <5801>, and Ibiden <4062>. Other notable losers spanned entertainment and finance, with Sony Group <6758>, Nintendo <7974>, Sanrio <8136>, Konami Group <9766>, and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group <8306> all trading lower. Pasona Group <2168>, Tama Home <1419>, and Bewith <9216> also posted sharp losses.

Conversely, Taiyo Yuden <6976> surged, while electronic component peers Murata Manufacturing <6981> and TDK <6762> advanced. Kyocera <6971> and Omron <6645> also gained. Index heavyweights and blue chips including Toyota Motor <7203>, Fast Retailing <9983>, Mitsubishi Electric <6503>, Kioxia Holdings Corporation, and Hitachi <6501> finished in positive territory.

Source: MINKABU PRESS

*Translated by generative AI. Click here for the original article.