The Nikkei 225 fell 3.95% to 62,364.92 on Tuesday, its lowest close since May 21, as semiconductor names dropped double digits. Yet the short-selling ratio of 35.2% sat below its recent average, retail and auto stocks rallied, and the BOJ decision looms Friday.
Tokyo opened the week with a relief rally: the Nikkei added 0.5% and TOPIX outperformed as oil fell on a US-Iran pause, while the yen held near 163.5 and the TSE short-sell ratio printed 37.8% ahead of Friday’s BOJ decision.
Tokyo’s chip complex bore the brunt of a global AI-spending scare on Friday: the Nikkei 225 fell 2.73% to 64,611 while defensives rallied, the yen held near 163.73, and the TSE short-selling ratio climbed to 43.8% — the top of its recent range.
Tokyo closed higher Thursday on renewed AI infrastructure optimism, with Advantest and SoftBank Group leading. Beneath the surface, the TSE short-sell ratio jumped to 43.2% of turnover and the Nikkei VI sits at a stressed 93rd percentile — a defensive tape wearing a bullish headline.
Tokyo surrendered an early tech-led rally on Tuesday, with the Nikkei 225 slipping 0.18% to 66,115.60 while banks and trading houses pushed TOPIX higher. The yen sank to 163.05 per dollar, JGB yields ground higher, and the TSE short-selling ratio jumped to 43.0% — the top of its recent range.
Why a weaker yen historically lifts Toyota, Sony, and the Nikkei — and when it stops working. A practical guide to the translation channel, assumed exchange rates, and reading USD/JPY alongside the Tokyo close.
The Nikkei 225 fell 2.79% to 66,835.54 on Thursday as semiconductor and AI names were sold hard on valuation concerns. Autos rallied on a steady 162 yen, the short-sell ratio held at 37.4%, and the Nikkei VI sat at an elevated 32.27.
The Nikkei 225 jumped 2.24% to 68,751.51 on Wednesday as semiconductor names led a broad rally after softer-than-expected US inflation data. The short-sell ratio held at 39.3%, and JGB long yields fell sharply.
How borrowing cheap yen links US rates, USD/JPY, and the Nikkei — why a sharp yen rally forces global deleveraging, and how to monitor carry stress with public Tokyo market data.
The Nikkei 225 shrugged off a near-1,000-point intraday plunge to close up 0.74% at 67,743.50, as bargain-hunters overwhelmed early geopolitical selling. SoftBank, Advantest and the megabanks led the turn; the yen sat near 40-year lows at 162.34.