FX.co ★ Japanese Shares Fall as SoftBank Tumbles

The Nikkei 225 Index fell 4.15% to close at 69,361 on Friday, while the broader Topix Index declined 1.32% to 3,963, erasing the previous session’s gains. Technology stocks led the downturn amid persistent concerns over heavy capital expenditure on artificial intelligence infrastructure.

SoftBank Group tumbled nearly 13% following reports that OpenAI may postpone its initial public offering until 2027, delaying potential returns for the Japanese conglomerate. Other technology names also sank, including Kioxia Holdings (-11.2%), Fujikura (-4.7%), Advantest (-9.6%), Tokyo Electron (-3.2%), and Taiyo Yuden (-10.8%).

On the economic front, data showed that Tokyo’s core inflation accelerated for the first time in eight months, reinforcing expectations that the Bank of Japan will stay on its path of raising interest rates.