The Nikkei 225 dropped 1.75% to close at 58,476 on Friday, retreating from record highs as investors adopted a cautious stance ahead of the weekend while awaiting progress in US-Iran peace negotiations. In the latest developments, US President Donald Trump expressed confidence that the conflict with Iran could end soon, saying Tehran had agreed to terms including abandoning nuclear ambitions and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. He also announced a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, a step that could help advance further US-Iran talks. Meanwhile, Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda provided no clear signal on interest rates ahead of the central bank’s policy decision this month, highlighting the challenge of balancing upside risks to inflation against downside risks to growth. Technology and AI-related stocks led the decline, with notable losses from Kioxia Holdings (-9.6%), Fujikura (-2.7%), Advantest (-1.8%), SoftBank Group (-2.6%), and Lasertec (-4.4%).
