Japan's Nikkei snaps 6-day winning streak, falls 1.45%
Japan's Nikkei 225 index fell 1.45% on Thursday, closing at 42,649 and snapping a six-day winning streak just after hitting a record high above 43,000.
Investors took profits and grew wary about possible Bank of Japan (BOJ) interest rate hikes, especially as a stronger yen is making life tougher for big exporters.
Investors wary of potential BOJ interest rate hikes
If you follow markets or tech stocks, this dip signals how quickly things can change when investors get nervous.
Hints from hedge fund manager Scott Bessent that the BOJ might be "behind the curve" on raising rates have investors watching for tighter money policies—which could slow growth and hit Japanese companies' overseas earnings.
Toyota and Honda see share slips
Tech and industrial giants took the biggest hits: Advantest dropped 4.6%, Tokyo Electron fell 2%, and Mitsubishi Heavy lost nearly 6%.
Even Toyota and Honda saw their shares slip.
On the flip side, SoftBank Group managed to buck the trend with a solid gain.