Nikkei 225 closes 0.92 percent lower as chip stocks retreat
Published on 10/07/2026 at 18:21 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
The Nikkei 225 closed at 70,035.71 points on October 7, 2026, down 648.27 points, or 0.92 percent, from the previous session. Xinhua said investors locked in gains after the recent rally, while selling in artificial intelligence and semiconductor-related shares weighed on the index.
Profit-taking hits recent leaders
The pullback followed the Nikkei 225's move above 70,000 points earlier in the week. A Reuters account carried by Indopremier attributed the decline to profit-taking after the fast-paced advance and quoted Taka Ikeda, senior portfolio manager at GSCI Asset Management, saying institutional investors often sell at the beginning of Japan's fiscal half to lock in gains.
Chip-testing equipment maker Advantest fell 1.34 percent, Tokyo Electron lost 2.38 percent and Kioxia Holdings dropped 4.46 percent, according to QNA. Disco Corp. was also among the prominent decliners, falling 6.3 percent, while SoftBank Group gained 0.24 percent, finanzen.ch reported.
Broad weakness across Tokyo stocks
Market breadth reflected the pullback. Decliners outnumbered advancers by 972 to 526, with 54 issues unchanged, according to Kabutan. The Nikkei 225 recorded its first decline in three sessions but held above the 70,000-point level at the close.
The next Tokyo session is scheduled for October 8, 2026. Fast Retailing is due to release its fourth-quarter results on Thursday, according to MarketWatch.
