{"id":36909,"date":"2025-12-16T11:14:29","date_gmt":"2025-12-16T03:14:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/?p=36909"},"modified":"2025-12-16T11:14:29","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T03:14:29","slug":"nikkei-slips-as-ai-stocks-drag","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/en-asia\/analysis\/nikkei-slips-as-ai-stocks-drag\/","title":{"rendered":"Nikkei Slips as AI Stocks Drag"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"559\" src=\"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/en-asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/27\/2026\/03\/image_fx-86-1024x559.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-20961\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Key Points:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Nikkei225<\/strong> falls 1.0% to <strong>49,574<\/strong>, breaking key 50,000 psychological support<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>AI-related names like <strong>Yaskawa Electric<\/strong>, <strong>Renesas<\/strong>, and <strong>Shin-Etsu Chemical<\/strong> lead declines<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Caution dominates ahead of US <strong>Non-Farm Payrolls<\/strong> and <strong>BoJ policy decision<\/strong> this week<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p>Japan\u2019s <strong>Nikkei225<\/strong> index posted a sharp retreat on Tuesday, closing down <strong>1.0%<\/strong> at <strong>49,574<\/strong>, its weakest level since mid-November.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The selloff came as part of a broader pullback in <strong>artificial intelligence\u2013linked equities<\/strong>, with robotics, chipmaking, and automation names leading losses amid rising global growth uncertainty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The shares of companies exposed to artificial intelligence infrastructure came in for a beating after a report about Oracle data center delays added fuel to a selloff already underway following disappointing earnings results from chipmaker Broadcom <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/mVvwMOUnPP\">https:\/\/t.co\/mVvwMOUnPP<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Bloomberg (@business) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/business\/status\/1999530910429905085?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 12, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Shares of <strong>Yaskawa Electric<\/strong>, a key robotics and &#8220;physical AI&#8221; developer, plunged <strong>6.1%<\/strong>, while <strong>Fujikura<\/strong> (data-centre cables) lost <strong>5.6%<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Chipmaker <strong>Renesas<\/strong> dropped <strong>3.6%<\/strong>, and silicon wafer producer <strong>Shin-Etsu Chemical<\/strong> fell <strong>3.9%<\/strong>, both tracking weakness in global semiconductor sentiment following recent pullbacks in <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/khF6HiYNRb\" rel=\"nofollow\" title=\"\">Nvidia and US tech peers<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While <strong>SoftBank Group<\/strong> and <strong>Advantest<\/strong> pared some losses after Monday\u2019s rout, trader appetite remains fragile across Japan\u2019s AI and tech complex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\">Global Macro Pressure Mounts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Traders are increasingly turning defensive ahead of two pivotal macro risk events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>US Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP)<\/strong> due <strong>Tuesday<\/strong> will provide fresh clues on the <strong>health of the labour market<\/strong> and guide expectations on the <strong>Fed\u2019s rate-cut path<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">There\u2019s a lot of US economic data on approach this week, not least of which will be a jobs report: Here\u2019s your Evening Briefing <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/42KcNuTjDs\">https:\/\/t.co\/42KcNuTjDs<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Bloomberg (@business) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/business\/status\/2000697161143488515?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 15, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>A weaker-than-expected print could reinforce dovish bets and support equity sentiment, while a surprise upside may revive hawkish risks and weigh on risk assets globally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The<strong> Bank of Japan (BoJ)<\/strong> meets <strong>Friday<\/strong>, with growing speculation it may signal a <strong>shift away from ultra-loose policy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While a full exit from negative rates remains unlikely, Governor Ueda&#8217;s recent tone has turned incrementally hawkish, and even subtle tweaks to <strong>Yield Curve Control (YCC)<\/strong> or <strong>guidance language<\/strong> could spark volatility in yen crosses and equities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Governor Kazuo Ueda is widely expected to raise the Bank of Japan\u2019s key rate to the highest level in three decades on Friday <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/f5vs7ub0JT\">https:\/\/t.co\/f5vs7ub0JT<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Bloomberg (@business) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/business\/status\/2000673877387624810?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 15, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Together, these events have led to a <strong>&#8220;wait-and-see&#8221; posture<\/strong> across Japanese markets, with traders locking in gains after a strong year-to-date rally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\">Technical Analysis<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Nikkei 225 has pulled back to <strong>49,574<\/strong>, shedding over <strong>500 points (-1.00%)<\/strong> as profit-taking and cautious sentiment weighed in after a strong multi-month rally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Price action has been consolidating below the <strong>52,669<\/strong> peak, with short-term moving averages beginning to flatten and show signs of bearish crossover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/en-asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/27\/2026\/03\/image-23-1024x443.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-36910\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The MACD also suggests weakening momentum, with the histogram trending lower and signal lines crossing downward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While the long-term trend remains broadly intact from the June lows at <strong>36,448<\/strong>, the current price action hints at a potential correction phase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If support at <strong>49,000<\/strong> breaks decisively, a deeper retracement toward <strong>47,000<\/strong> is likely. Bulls need to reclaim the <strong>50,000\u201350,500<\/strong> zone to regain upside conviction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\">Bottom Line<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>AI-linked equities are dragging on the Nikkei as markets reassess global rate trajectories and tech valuations. With US jobs data and the BoJ decision both on deck, <strong>volatility is likely to remain elevated<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Broader sentiment may hinge on whether macro conditions justify the Fed\u2019s dovish pivot or if inflationary risks force a rethink.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Learn more about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/markets\/\">trading<\/a><\/strong> <strong>on<\/strong> <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/trade-now\">VT Markets<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Chipmakers and robotics firms weigh heavily as traders await US jobs data and BoJ guidance. &#8211; vtmarkets.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":64,"featured_media":20961,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[11,30],"class_list":["post-36909","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-analysis","tag-indices","tag-nikkei"],"acf":{"acf_article_selection_author":""},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/en-asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36909","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/en-asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/en-asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/en-asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/64"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/en-asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36909"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/en-asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36909\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/en-asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20961"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/en-asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36909"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/en-asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36909"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/en-asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36909"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}