The Japanese "Nikkei" index witnessed a sharp decline for the second consecutive day, as investors took profits from a recent rise in technology company stocks. The pace of losses accelerated in the latter half of the session, dropping 0.85% at closing to record 31,641.27 points. The broader "Topix" index fell by 0.67% to 2,191.50 points.
Shares of "Sony Group" decreased by 1.65%, "Hoya" semiconductor materials fell by 3.89%, and "SoftBank Group" dropped by 1.47%. However, "Eisai" pharmaceutical shares rose by 7.37%, leading the gains on the "Nikkei" after U.S. regulatory agencies gave a positive assessment of the company's advanced-stage Alzheimer's treatment trials.
The precision machinery sector lost 2.59%, becoming the worst performer among the 33 sub-sectors. Conversely, shipping companies were the biggest winners, rising by 2.28%.
