The Nikkei average of 225 issues fell on Monday, with technology stocks among the biggest losers. The benchmark index, however, avoided deeper losses as the yen fell from a one-month high.
The Nikkei closed the day down 0.48% at 36,215.75, recovering the psychological barrier of 36,000 after falling below it for the first time since Aug. 13. At the session’s low, the Nikkei had fallen 3.14%.
Semiconductor stocks led the decliners on the benchmark throughout the day, following a sharp drop among Wall Street peers on Friday. Chip-making equipment giant Tokyo Electron fell 2.27% and was the biggest loser in index point terms. Chip-testing machine maker Lasertec, which lost 4.8%, was the biggest loser in percentage terms.
