Nikkei 225NI225

Nikkei 225 drops 2.33% to 68,831 amid chipmaker sell-off ahead of U.S. payrolls.

In the past 24 hours, the Nikkei 225 index declined by 2.33%, closing at 68,831 points. This downturn was primarily driven by a significant sell-off in Asian semiconductor stocks, particularly memory-chip manufacturers, as investors adjusted positions ahead of the upcoming U.S. payrolls report. The retreat in tech-heavy markets across the region contributed to the overall decline in the Tokyo benchmark.