Japan’s Nikkei Stock Average Falls as Tech Shares Drag; Astellas Surges

Reuters

12:47 JST, February 5, 2026

TOKYO, Feb 5 (Reuters) – Japan’s Nikkei share average fell on Thursday, dragged lower by technology stocks on lingering valuation concerns.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 Index .N225 fell 0.8% to 53,832.26. The broader Topix .TOPX slid 0.26% to 3,646.06. So far this year, the Nikkei has gained 7.9%.

SoftBank Group 9984.T tumbled 6.4% after its affiliated chip design firm Arm Holdings O9Ty.Fmissed analysts’ expectations on licensing revenues.

“Chip-related stocks are expected to be soft as concerns mount in the U.S. over rich valuations and AI investment,” said Takayuki Miyajima, senior economist at Sony Financial Group.

“But in Japan, selective buying tied to earnings is likely to continue.”

Semiconductor-related stocks fell in early Tokyo trading, with chip-maker Rohm 6963.T down 8.3% to become the worst percentage loser on the Nikkei, while sector supplier Advantest 6857.T slid 4.7% and chipmaking device company Disco 6146.T declined 4.3%.

There were 147 advancers on the Nikkei index against 78 decliners.

The pharmaceuticals sector IPHAM.T was the top performer among the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s 33 industry groups, led by Astellas Pharma’s 10% surge 4503.T after the company lifted its net profit forecast for this fiscal year by nearly five times.