The NT ratio — the Nikkei 225 divided by TOPIX — is Tokyo’s cheapest leadership gauge, and it was on display on August 21, 2026, when the Nikkei fell while the broad market rose. Here is how to compute it, why price weighting lets a handful of high-priced stocks like Fast Retailing move the spread, what high and low readings signal about market leadership, and how professionals trade the NT spread with OSE futures.
The Nikkei 225 rose 1.36% to 66,216.79 on Thursday, snapping a multi-session losing streak as automakers led the rebound — Toyota +4.25%, Nissan +6.77% — with July trade data pointing to surging AI-driven semiconductor exports. The TSE short-selling ratio eased to 39.1%, the low end of its recent range, with July national CPI due Friday morning.
Tokyo’s five-day winning streak ended Tuesday as semiconductor names sold off hard, the 10-year JGB pushed toward 3%, and the yen hovered near 160. The TSE short-selling ratio climbed to 42.6% — the top of its recent range — as positioning turned defensive.
The Nikkei 225 rose 0.74% to 69,220.25 on Monday, a fifth straight gain led by semiconductors and SoftBank, while the broader TOPIX fell as yields climbed and only 5 of 17 sectors advanced. Short selling ran at 39.4% of TSE turnover.
The Nikkei 225 closed at 67,524.06 (+0.83%) on Wednesday with banks and semiconductor-equipment names leading, the yen soft at 159.36, and the TSE short-sell ratio at 40.3% — while the Nikkei Volatility Index jumped seven points ahead of Friday’s options SQ.
Tokyo, Aug 10: The Nikkei 225 surged 2.08% to 66,970 on a semiconductor rally led by Advantest and Tokyo Electron, while TOPIX lagged at +0.59%. The yen was little changed around 158.5 as JGB yields kept drifting higher. Short-sell ratio: 41.1%, mid-range.
Seven numbers tell you most of what matters in Japanese equities each day: the Nikkei-TOPIX (NT) ratio, USD/JPY, the TSE short-selling ratio (37-45% over the past week), weekly investor flows, JGB yields, US chip stocks, and three bellwether stocks — here is where each lives and how to read it.
The Nikkei 225 closed just 0.12% lower at 65,606.71 after recovering from a 1,000-point intraday drop driven by chip-related names. Breadth was positive, the short-sell ratio eased to 37.1%, and the yen gave back intervention gains at 158.45.
The Nikkei 225 fell 0.93% to 65,683 as Tokyo Electron and SoftBank dragged, yet 15 of 17 sectors advanced and the TOPIX proxy gained 0.57%. Short selling eased to 39.9% of turnover as money rotated from semis into pharma, foods and autos.
The Nikkei 225 jumped 2,342.91 points to 66,300.44 on Wednesday as an overnight surge in US chip names lit up Tokyo’s AI complex. SoftBank Group soared 13.96%, Advantest 8.77%. The TSE short-selling ratio eased to 41.8% — still defensive, but the least so in three sessions.