Nikkei 225 closes 0.6 percent lower as AI worries persist

The Nikkei 225 closed at 64,917 points on October 19, losing 408 points or 0.6 percent. Technology valuation concerns persisted ahead of key earnings due this week, Reuters reported.

Toho was the strongest performer, rising 7.0 percent. Taiyo Yuden was the weakest, falling 4.9 percent. The move followed a rebound from an earlier decline of more than 2 percent.

Why did the Nikkei 225 fall on Monday?

Investors continued to question whether heavy artificial intelligence investment will generate sufficient returns. Maki Sawada, an equities strategist at Nomura Securities, said earnings must reassure investors about AI-related spending, Reuters reported.

Friday's losses in US technology shares also pressured Japanese chip-related stocks. The Nikkei 225 had fallen more than 2 percent earlier on Monday before recovering part of the decline.

Winners and losers in the Nikkei 225

Gainers and losers at the Tokyo close on October 19, according to Reuters:

• Toho up 7.0 percent: the movie studio posted its strongest one-day gain since July 2025.
• Shift up 5.5 percent.
• Baycurrent up 5.4 percent.
• Taiyo Yuden down 4.9 percent.
• Trend Micro down 4.2 percent.
• Mercari down 4.0 percent.

Market breadth was narrowly positive within the index, with 111 advancers, 108 decliners and six unchanged stocks, Reuters reported.

What comes next for the Nikkei 225

• October 20, 2026, 12:35 p.m. JST: Japan's 20-year JGB auction, listed by Trading Economics.
• October 20, 2026, 9:30 p.m. JST: US September housing starts and building permits, with the release listed at 8:30 a.m. ET by Japan market calendar.

Nikkei 225 price data for October 19, 2026

The Nikkei 225 closed at 64,917 points on October 19, 2026, according to Reuters. It lost 408 points or 0.6 percent from the previous close of 65,324 points on October 16. The index had earlier fallen more than 2 percent.

More market reports and analysis on the Nikkei 225