Japanese stocks fell on Friday, October 2, 2026, after two days of gains. This happened because investors took profits after Thursday’s 3.3% rise, SoftBank Group fell, and Tokyo inflation was higher than expected, which put pressure on the Bank of Japan. However, the index still had its third straight weekly gain.
How Much Did the Nikkei 225 End at on October 2, 2026?
Last Thursday, the Nikkei 225 closed at 68,956.72. On Friday, October 2, 2026, it fell 647.26 points, or 0.94%, to 68,309.46. It started out at 68,313.46, went up to 68,741.49 just after 9:20 a.m., and then down to 68,132.16 in the middle of the morning. It started the afternoon session lower again and stayed that way for the rest of the day.
Even though it went down on Friday, the Nikkei rose 2.93 percent for the week, making it its third straight week of gains. It is now 68,309.46, which is 6.2% less than its all-time high of 72,831.73 set on June 22, 2026.
Why did the Nikkei fall today?
Taking profits was the main idea. The Nikkei closed at its highest level since August 17th, thanks to a 3.30% rise on Thursday, which was caused by a chip rally after Micron’s good results. On Friday, investors locked in their gains. A lot of people also didn’t buy anything new because the US jobs report for September was due after the Tokyo market closed. As the index got closer to 68,000, some support started to show.
Costs of energy made people even more cautious. During Asian hours, the price of oil went up because of worries that the conflict between the US and Iran could get worse, which would cut off more supplies from the Middle East and cause prices to rise again. Japan gets almost all of its crude oil from other countries, so when oil prices go up, they tend to hurt business profits and the trade balance.
What effect did Tokyo’s inflation have on Japanese stocks?
The core consumer price index in Tokyo, which doesn’t include fresh food, rose 2.7% year over year in September, which was more than the 2.4% rise that was expected. The rate of rise was the fastest since November 2025, and it was the first time in nine months that inflation went above the Bank of Japan’s 2% goal. People look to Tokyo figures to get a good idea of national inflation, so the higher reading makes people more sure that the central bank will keep raising interest rates. After the release, the yen became more stable.
Higher domestic rates are good for the Nikkei because they help banks make more money, but they can also hurt exports by making the yen stronger and growth stocks by raising discount rates.
Which Nikkei stocks changed the most?
SoftBank Group was one of the biggest losers, dropping 5.83% after saying it had finished the third and final $10 billion installment of an agreed-upon investment. It was one of the biggest factors that caused the price-weighted index to go down. Nissan Motor fell 4.57%, and Terumo, a company that makes medical devices, fell 4.15%. Fast Retailing went down about 1.5%, Tokyo Electron went down 3.82%, and Toyota went down about 1.8%.
Advantest, a company that makes equipment for testing chips, went against the trend and gained 2.71 percent. This was due to strong demand for AI-related products. As for banks, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial and Mizuho both went down, but Mitsubishi UFJ went up slightly.
How did the bigger Tokyo market do?
There was a lot of weakness. The TOPIX index went down at the start of the afternoon session, and SoftBank Group, Tokyo Electron, and Fast Retailing were the companies that hurt the Nikkei the most by points. The stocks that changed hands the most on the Prime Market in terms of value were those from SoftBank Group, Toyo Engineering, Nissan Motor, Tokyo Electron, Rakuten Group, Orix, and Tokio Marine.
After a strong run, the slowdown should be seen in that light. Before Thursday’s 3.30% rise, the index rose to 66,753.72 on September 30, which was its highest close since August 19. Some strength showed up as the index got close to 68,000, which suggests that buyers are still ready to buy on dips.
When it comes to the Nikkei 225, what technical levels matter?
Near-term support is at the 68,000 mark. As the index got close to it on Friday, buying started, and the session low was at 68,132.16. It will be hard to break through Friday’s high of 68,741.49 and then 69,000. If it goes above that point, the all-time high from June 22 of 72,831.73 will once again be seen. Another thing to keep an eye on is the yield on Japanese government bonds. The 10-year yield hit 3% in early September, the highest level since 1996, and any further rise could make the value of stocks fall.
A Look at the World’s Markets
The Hang Seng in Hong Kong fell 2.6% to 23,972.29 on its first trading day after National Day, when China and India were closed. Later, the US jobs report showed that there were only 29,000 new jobs in September, which was much less than the 84,000 jobs that were expected. This was good news for Wall Street, as the S&P 500 rose 0.73% and the Nasdaq Composite gained 1.19%, reaching an all-time high as Nvidia hit an all-time high. The DAX 40 ran up 1.17 percent.
What Next for the Nikkei? What Should Investors Do?
After a strong week, the Nikkei’s drop seems more like consolidation than a change in direction. This is especially true since Friday’s weak US jobs data and Monday’s record Nasdaq session should help chip stocks when Tokyo reopens. If the price goes back above 69,000, it will put the June record back in view. The 68,000 area is short-term support. Once more, oil prices are going up, and there are more signs that the Bank of Japan will tighten more quickly than the markets think.
Questions People Ask Often
What level did the Nikkei 225 end at on October 2, 2026?
The Nikkei 225 ended the day at 68,309.46, down 647.26 points, or 0.94 percent.
Why did stocks in Japan go down on October 2, 2026?
After Thursday’s 3.3% rise, investors cashed out. SoftBank fell 5.83%, oil prices went up, and Tokyo core inflation came in higher than expected.
In what ways did the Nikkei do last week?
The Nikkei rose 2.93 percent for the week, making it its third straight week of gains.
