TOKYO, June 8 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei share average sank
by the most in three months while the yen traded above 160 per
dollar on Monday on renewed concerns about technology valuations
and a flare-up in Middle East hostilities.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 Index dropped 4.6% to
63,747.83 and was poised for its biggest one-day slide since
March 9. The broader Topix slid 3.08% to 3,827.63.
Tech stocks in the U.S. cratered on Friday after a hot May
jobs report fuelled fears of a hawkish policy pivot from the
Federal Reserve. The Philadelphia SE Semiconductor Index
posted its largest one-day plunge since March 2020.
Oil prices jumped on Monday after an Israeli attack on
Beirut over the weekend prompted Iran to direct a salvo of
missiles at Israeli targets. U.S. President Donald Trump said on
Sunday that new strikes by Israel and Iran would not affect his
administration's peace talks with Tehran.
"In addition to the decline in technology-related stocks,
geopolitical risks also seem to be weighing on the market," said
Maki Sawada, an equities strategist at Nomura Securities, adding
that the yen remains at the 160 per-dollar level where currency
intervention is a concern.
The yen weakened to levels not seen since Tokyo intervened
in markets more than a month ago, while government bonds fell as
a jump in energy costs fanned inflation concerns.
Data on Monday showed that Japan's economy lost momentum in
the January-March quarter, as the Middle East conflict added to
headwinds.
AI and tech-related shares led declines on the Nikkei gauge.
The largest losers were Sumco ( SUMCF ), down 13%, followed by
Renesas , down 12.1%, and Kioxia ( KXHCF ), which
lost 11.4%.
(Reporting by Rocky Swift in Tokyo; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)