Nikkei 225 falls steeply amid a broad sell-off on the Tokyo Stock Exchange

Japanese stocks saw a sharp decline at the close of trading on Friday, with the Nikkei 225 index dropping by 6.04%. The losses were widespread, affecting most stocks and sectors, with decliners significantly outnumbering advancers. The Nikkei volatility index surged by 34.35%, signaling heightened market anxiety and instability.

Among individual stocks, Japan Tobacco led the losses, falling 19.31%, followed by Rohm with a 15% decline and Ajinomoto with a 12.40% drop, while a few bellwether stocks managed to post limited gains.

In the commodities markets, U.S. crude oil rose to $91.41 per barrel, and Brent crude climbed to $99.63 per barrel, while gold fell by 1.35% to $4,057.95 per ounce.