Japanese Shares Slip Again as Renewed Tensions in Middle East Worry Investors

Japanese shares closed in the red, as investors took a cautious stance amid the rise in oil prices due to the resurgence of unrest in the Middle East. Benchmark Nikkei 225 closed down 1,437.91 points or 2.11% at 66,819.05. Tensions in the Middle East flared up again after the US launched renewed airstrikes in Iran and revoked a waiver which permitted it to sell oil globally, after a series of attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Sentiment around tech stocks was also hit by SpaceX's Tuesday entry into the Nasdaq 100, adding to sector volatility. Back home, Japan's current account surplus rose to 3.968 trillion yen in May, from 3.321 trillion yen a year earlier and from a surplus of 3.908 trillion yen in April, the Ministry of Finance said in a Wednesday release. Also, survey data released by the Cabinet Office showed that the economic sentiment among Japan's street-level workers improved marginally in June but remained in the pessimistic territory. On the corporate side, Asahi Group's (TYO:2502) profit attributable to owners of the parent fell 36.7% to 121.57 billion yen for the year ended December 2025, from 192.08 billion yen a year earlier. Earnings per share.