Nikkei 225 Falls Over 1,700 Points as Japan Stock Market Extends Selloff

The Nikkei 225 dropped more than 1,700 points in early trading, hitting an intraday low of 60,448.90 before trimming losses. The selloff was driven by weakness in semiconductor stocks, concerns over slowing AI-related demand, and fears of an unwind in the yen carry trade as the Japanese yen hovered near a 40-year low against the U.S. dollar. The decline followed sharp losses across Asia, with South Korea’s KOSPI also coming under heavy pressure after recent circuit breakers.