Japan Market Daily | Kabutaro & Friends

On May 20, 2026, the Nikkei 225 fell for a fifth consecutive session, closing down 746 yen at 59,804 yen and dropping below the 60,000 threshold for the first time in nearly three weeks. The index tumbled by over 1200 yen early in the session, driven by rising global bond yields and Wall Street's tech sell-off, alongside pre-earnings position squaring ahead of NVIDIA's financial results. In currency and commodity markets, the U.S. dollar remained firm, and crude oil prices held near recent highs; although U.S. President Trump postponed planned military action against Iran, lingering anxieties over the Strait of Hormuz negotiations persisted. Additionally, the UN downgraded its 2026 global economic growth forecast to 2.5 percent, and news of an impending 18-day strike by Samsung Electronics workers raised concerns over potential global supply chain disruptions.