Nikkei 225 Slips 0.9% as Tech Pulls Back From Record Highs

Tokyo's Nikkei 225 fell 0.9% to 60,843 on May 18, 2026, with tech stocks leading the decline, per Asahi Shimbun. The drop came after the index hit intraday highs the prior week. The Nikkei has risen about 4,500 points since its February 9 record close of 56,364, following a 3.9% surge tied to Sanae Takaichi's election win. Tech's heavy weighting makes the index sensitive to U.S. semiconductor and software trading.