Tokyo, Oct. 15 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average lost more than 3,200 points in Thursday morning trading. High tech-related issues, especially those related to generative artificial intelligence, bore the brunt of the selling following overnight falls in their U.S. counterparts and a wave of selling that hit South Korean semiconductor issues on Thursday. The index of 225 major issues listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s Prime section ended the morning session down 3,255.23 points, or 4.81 pct, from Wednesday’s close at 64,489.06. The broader TOPIX index rounded off the morning down 103.28 points, or 2.52 pct, at 3,993.50, falling below 4,000 for the first time since Sept. 11 on an intraday basis. “Investors have become uneasy amid growing concerns that rising interest rates around the world could dampen information technology-related investment,” an official of a Japanese asset management firm said. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
