The Nikkei 225 fell 1.42% to 69,042.11 on Thursday, a second straight decline, as SoftBank Group, MUFG and chip-equipment names bore the brunt of profit-taking. TSE short selling rose to 41.6% of turnover — the defensive end of the recent range — ahead of Friday’s options SQ.
The Nikkei 225 closed at 70,683.98 (+1.05%) on Tuesday, its first close above 70,000 since early July, as semiconductor names and banks led and the yen slipped to 158. SoftBank Group fell 3.1% against the tide, and the TSE short-sell ratio eased to 38.0%.
Tokyo snapped a two-day winning streak on Friday: the Nikkei 225 fell 0.94% to 68,309.46 as SoftBank Group dropped 5.8% and semiconductor names gave back part of the week’s surge. The TSE short-selling ratio hit 41.1% — the defensive tone in positioning persists.
The Nikkei 225 surged 3.30% to 68,956.72 on a ferocious semiconductor rally after Micron’s record earnings, but the advance was strikingly narrow: the TOPIX proxy added just 0.67%, banks fell hard, and the TSE short-selling ratio printed 38.8%.
The Nikkei 225 closed Wednesday at 66,753.72, up 1.94%, led by SoftBank Group’s 6.6% surge and a broad bank rally, while the TSE short-selling ratio eased to 40.4% — the softer end of its recent range.
The Nikkei 225 closed Friday at 66,364.20, up 1.30% for a fifth consecutive advance, with banks and semiconductor names doing the heavy lifting while SoftBank Group lagged. The TSE short-sell ratio eased to 40.0% and the yen held near 158 per dollar.
The Nikkei 225 shook off a soft US lead to close 0.69% higher at 63,923 on Wednesday, powered by energy and chip-equipment names, with the yen at 155 and the Bank of Japan decision two days away. Short selling ran at 41.5% of TSE turnover.
Monday split Tokyo in two: the Nikkei 225 fell 0.81% as SoftBank Group plunged 10.7% on AI-slowdown headlines, while the broader TOPIX gained as financials and transport led 14 of 17 sectors higher. Short-selling sat at 38.1% of turnover — the calm end of its recent range.
The Nikkei 225 fell 1.70% to 65,269.33 on Tuesday as a seven-month-high yen hammered autos and chip names. SoftBank Group jumped 5.45% against the tape. Short selling ran at 42.4% of TSE turnover, and the Nikkei VI spiked above 32 ahead of Friday’s major SQ.
Tokyo’s benchmark surged 2.12% to 66,399.84 on a semiconductor and AI-linked rally led by SoftBank Group’s 11% jump, even as the yen firmed and the TOPIX lagged far behind. The short-selling ratio eased to 39.9%, the low end of its recent range.