The Nikkei 225 Index fell 2.12% to 68,257 on Tuesday, closing at a three-week low, while the broader Topix Index declined 0.97% to 4,062, pressured by a sharp selloff in technology stocks. Regional sentiment weakened further after South Korea’s Samsung Electronics slumped as much as 10% despite posting strong profit growth, stoking doubts about the durability of the artificial intelligence rally.
In Japan, investors assessed mixed economic data showing that nominal wages rose 3.2% in May even as household spending slipped 0.4%. Tech shares bore the brunt of the selling, with steep losses in Kioxia Holdings (-11.3%), Taiyo Yuden (-11%), Murata Manufacturing (-10.1%), Lasertec (-6.4%), and Ibiden Co (-7%). In contrast, financial and consumer names outperformed, led by Mitsubishi UFJ, up 2.3%, and Fast Retailing, which gained 1.1%.
