TOKYO: Japan’s Nikkei share average closed 2 percent lower on Tuesday as semiconductor-related heavyweights fell after a drop in South Korea’s Samsung Electronics sent the benchmark KOSPI tumbling.
The Nikkei fell 2.12 percent to close at 68,256.96.
The broader Topix index ended 0.97 percent lower at 4,062.26 after hitting a record high of 4,137.62 earlier in the session, as investors bought financial and other beaten-down value stocks.
Shares of Japan’s high-flying memory maker Kioxia fell 11.26 percent and chip-related Advantest and Tokyo Electron lost 2.25 percent and 3.94 percent, respectively.
The tech-heavy Nikkei tends to track moves in South Korea’s benchmark index, which is also heavily weighted toward chip stocks.
The benchmark KOSPI fell as much as 8 percent, triggering circuit breakers for the sixth time this year, as Samsung Electronics tanked as much as 10 percent.
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