FX.co ★ Japanese Shares Track Wall Street Losses

The Nikkei 225 index decreased by 0.9% to dip below the 43,200 mark, while the broader Topix Index recorded a 0.3% loss, settling at 3,107 on Wednesday. This movement continues from the previous day's downturn and reflects the technology-driven selloff observed in the US markets. Overnight, US semiconductor manufacturers and other tech-related stocks experienced significant declines amid a broader market retreat. In Japan, trade data contributed to the cautious sentiment, revealing a 2.6% year-on-year fall in exports for July—marking the most substantial decrease in more than four years as extensive US tariffs affected international demand. Imports also saw a 7.5% reduction, marking the fourth decrease this year, yet this was less severe than the anticipated 10.4% drop. SoftBank Group was a major contributor to the market's decline, plummeting 7% following a 4% fall the previous session. Other significant decliners included Mitsubishi Heavy, falling 2.6%, Advantest with a 4.4% decline, Fujikura dropping 5.5%, Disco decreasing by 2.3%, and IHI Corp slipping by 3.9%.