Nikkei 225 — daily market movers
Macro backdrop
The Nikkei 225 finished essentially flat, down 0.02%. It opened sharply lower, dragged by Thursday's US tech weakness — the Nasdaq fell as Middle East tensions lifted oil and a report on OpenAI's revenue pressured AI and semiconductor shares. But after a steep two-day pullback, bargain-hunting and caution ahead of a three-day weekend (Sports Day on Monday) pared nearly all of the loss by the close. The headline was calm, but sector performance beneath it diverged sharply.
Top 10 gainers
| # | Ticker | Company / business | Change | Likely Driver |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3697.T | SHIFT Software testing and quality-assurance services for enterprise and game developers | +6.48% | Rose with the day's rotation into domestic software and IT-services names, and ahead of its mid-October full-year results; no confirmed standalone catalyst on the day. |
| 2 | 4307.T | Nomura Research Institute IT consulting and systems integration, plus financial-market IT infrastructure | +5.09% | Part of a broad rally in IT-consulting and systems-integration shares as money rotated toward domestic software and services. |
| 3 | 4704.T | Trend Micro Cybersecurity software for endpoints, cloud and networks | +4.91% | Caught the bid in domestic software/cybersecurity names during the rotation away from AI hardware. |
| 4 | 6532.T | BayCurrent Management and IT consulting for Japanese corporations' digital transformation | +4.82% | Rallied with the consulting/IT-services group as investors favored domestic-demand software and services. |
| 5 | 6920.T | Lasertec Inspection and measurement equipment for semiconductor photomasks, including EUV | +4.18% | Bounced with select semiconductor-equipment names after the prior days' selloff; dip-buying supported the group. |
| 6 | 7735.T | SCREEN Holdings Semiconductor production equipment, chiefly wafer-cleaning systems | +3.99% | Rose with the semiconductor-equipment rebound as the group recovered from early selling. |
| 7 | 2914.T | Japan Tobacco Tobacco products maker, with pharmaceutical and processed-food businesses | +3.88% | Defensive, high-yield name bid up amid the risk-off open. |
| 8 | 7974.T | Nintendo Video-game consoles, software and entertainment franchises | +3.76% | Game and content makers rallied as money favored domestic-demand, non-AI-hardware names. |
| 9 | 4689.T | LY Corporation Internet services operator of Yahoo! Japan and the LINE messaging app | +3.71% | Domestic internet/platform name rose with the rotation into software and services. |
| 10 | 9766.T | Konami Group Video games, arcade/amusement machines and sports/fitness clubs | +3.54% | Games and entertainment shares rallied alongside Nintendo in the content-sector strength. |
- 1. 3697.T+6.48%SHIFTSoftware testing and quality-assurance services for enterprise and game developersRose with the day's rotation into domestic software and IT-services names, and ahead of its mid-October full-year results; no confirmed standalone catalyst on the day.
- 2. 4307.T+5.09%Nomura Research InstituteIT consulting and systems integration, plus financial-market IT infrastructurePart of a broad rally in IT-consulting and systems-integration shares as money rotated toward domestic software and services.
- 3. 4704.T+4.91%Trend MicroCybersecurity software for endpoints, cloud and networksCaught the bid in domestic software/cybersecurity names during the rotation away from AI hardware.
- 4. 6532.T+4.82%BayCurrentManagement and IT consulting for Japanese corporations' digital transformationRallied with the consulting/IT-services group as investors favored domestic-demand software and services.
- 5. 6920.T+4.18%LasertecInspection and measurement equipment for semiconductor photomasks, including EUVBounced with select semiconductor-equipment names after the prior days' selloff; dip-buying supported the group.
- 6. 7735.T+3.99%SCREEN HoldingsSemiconductor production equipment, chiefly wafer-cleaning systemsRose with the semiconductor-equipment rebound as the group recovered from early selling.
- 7. 2914.T+3.88%Japan TobaccoTobacco products maker, with pharmaceutical and processed-food businessesDefensive, high-yield name bid up amid the risk-off open.
- 8. 7974.T+3.76%NintendoVideo-game consoles, software and entertainment franchisesGame and content makers rallied as money favored domestic-demand, non-AI-hardware names.
- 9. 4689.T+3.71%LY CorporationInternet services operator of Yahoo! Japan and the LINE messaging appDomestic internet/platform name rose with the rotation into software and services.
- 10. 9766.T+3.54%Konami GroupVideo games, arcade/amusement machines and sports/fitness clubsGames and entertainment shares rallied alongside Nintendo in the content-sector strength.
Common Themes
The gainers cluster tightly into domestic-demand software and IT services (SHIFT, Nomura Research Institute, Trend Micro, BayCurrent, LY Corporation), game and content makers (Nintendo, Konami), a defensive (Japan Tobacco), and a bounce in select semiconductor-equipment names (Lasertec, SCREEN Holdings) recovering from the prior days' selling. The pattern mirrors the prior US session's rotation out of AI hardware and into software and services.
Top 10 losers
| # | Ticker | Company / business | Change | Likely Driver |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9983.T | Fast Retailing Apparel retailer behind the UNIQLO and GU fast-fashion brands | -4.04% | Sell-the-news after Wednesday-evening FY2026 results: a record net profit above ¥500bn, but only about 3% profit growth guided for FY2027 disappointed, and retail was a weak sector. |
| 2 | 6723.T | Renesas Electronics Microcontrollers and semiconductors for autos and industrial equipment | -4.00% | Fell with the semiconductor selloff led by US tech weakness, higher oil and AI-capex caution. |
| 3 | 3407.T | Asahi Kasei Diversified chemicals, materials, housing and healthcare products | -3.94% | Diversified-chemicals maker sold off with the weak materials/chemicals group. |
| 4 | 9984.T | SoftBank Group Technology investment holding company with telecom and Arm/AI stakes | -3.92% | AI-sentiment pullback weighed; the OpenAI revenue report and AI-capex caution pressured the AI-linked holding company. |
| 5 | 543A.T | ARCHION Holding company for a commercial-vehicle group making and selling trucks and buses | -3.73% | No clear news catalyst; likely profit-taking/risk-off in a recently listed commercial-vehicle name amid the weak open. |
| 6 | 6981.T | Murata Manufacturing Electronic components, chiefly multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) | -3.59% | Electronic-components maker fell with the AI-hardware/components selloff. |
| 7 | 6963.T | ROHM Semiconductors, including power and analog ICs | -3.18% | Chipmaker dropped amid the broad semiconductor selloff. |
| 8 | 5801.T | Furukawa Electric Cables, optical fiber and electronics, including AI-datacenter/power infrastructure | -2.94% | AI-infrastructure/cable name sold off with peers (e.g. Fujikura) as US AI-hardware weakness spilled over. |
| 9 | 4183.T | Mitsui Chemicals Petrochemicals and performance materials | -2.86% | Petrochemicals maker fell with the soft chemicals/materials group. |
| 10 | 6762.T | TDK Electronic components and batteries, including for AI devices | -2.54% | Electronic-components maker fell in the components/AI-hardware selloff. |
- 1. 9983.T-4.04%Fast RetailingApparel retailer behind the UNIQLO and GU fast-fashion brandsSell-the-news after Wednesday-evening FY2026 results: a record net profit above ¥500bn, but only about 3% profit growth guided for FY2027 disappointed, and retail was a weak sector.
- 2. 6723.T-4.00%Renesas ElectronicsMicrocontrollers and semiconductors for autos and industrial equipmentFell with the semiconductor selloff led by US tech weakness, higher oil and AI-capex caution.
- 3. 3407.T-3.94%Asahi KaseiDiversified chemicals, materials, housing and healthcare productsDiversified-chemicals maker sold off with the weak materials/chemicals group.
- 4. 9984.T-3.92%SoftBank GroupTechnology investment holding company with telecom and Arm/AI stakesAI-sentiment pullback weighed; the OpenAI revenue report and AI-capex caution pressured the AI-linked holding company.
- 5. 543A.T-3.73%ARCHIONHolding company for a commercial-vehicle group making and selling trucks and busesNo clear news catalyst; likely profit-taking/risk-off in a recently listed commercial-vehicle name amid the weak open.
- 6. 6981.T-3.59%Murata ManufacturingElectronic components, chiefly multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs)Electronic-components maker fell with the AI-hardware/components selloff.
- 7. 6963.T-3.18%ROHMSemiconductors, including power and analog ICsChipmaker dropped amid the broad semiconductor selloff.
- 8. 5801.T-2.94%Furukawa ElectricCables, optical fiber and electronics, including AI-datacenter/power infrastructureAI-infrastructure/cable name sold off with peers (e.g. Fujikura) as US AI-hardware weakness spilled over.
- 9. 4183.T-2.86%Mitsui ChemicalsPetrochemicals and performance materialsPetrochemicals maker fell with the soft chemicals/materials group.
- 10. 6762.T-2.54%TDKElectronic components and batteries, including for AI devicesElectronic-components maker fell in the components/AI-hardware selloff.
Common Themes
The losers concentrate in AI-adjacent hardware — semiconductors (Renesas, ROHM), electronic components (Murata, TDK) and AI-infrastructure/cable names (Furukawa Electric) — triggered by the US tech/Nasdaq drop, higher oil and AI-capex (OpenAI-revenue) caution. Chemicals (Asahi Kasei, Mitsui Chemicals) added cyclical weakness, while Fast Retailing fell on its own earnings and ARCHION had no obvious catalyst.
Overall read
Although the index closed essentially flat, beneath the surface money rotated out of AI hardware, semiconductors, electronic components and chemicals and into domestic software, IT services, games and defensives — a defensive, software-over-hardware rotation that echoed the prior US session. Fast Retailing's earnings were a separate, stock-specific drag.