Market index
Nikkei 225
Japan's headline equity index, useful for reading Asian risk appetite and yen conditions.
At a glance
Nikkei 225: latest value and prior change
As of 2026-07-23, Nikkei 225 is 66,423 pt. It is 307.0 pt higher than 66,116 pt on 2026-07-22.
Within the default comparison window of 1,000 observations from 2022-06-22 to 2026-07-23, the latest value is at the tie-adjusted 97th percentile. Available history covers 1990-01-04 to 2026-07-23 with 8,253 observations.
- Observed on
- Default comparison window
- 2022-06-22–2026-07-23
- Observations · observed cadence
- 1,000 · Daily
- Data source
- Naver Finance
A high or low percentile does not by itself make the indicator positive, negative, or a buy or sell signal.
Time-series chart
Nikkei 225
1990-01-04–2026-07-23
Long-history series are stored as real provider observations. Index, FX, VIX, and ratio charts use historical backfill where providers expose it; Korean investor flow and margin-credit feeds expand as stable historical endpoints become available.
Interpretation guide
Why the Nikkei 225 must be read alongside the yen
The Nikkei 225 selects 225 names from the Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market and, like the Dow, weights them by price rather than market cap. With heavy exporter representation and a tight link to the yen, the index only becomes meaningful when interpreted together with the currency.
The yen is half the story
A weaker yen inflates exporters' yen-denominated earnings and tends to lift the index, while sharp yen strength weighs on it. The first interpretive step is always separating genuine economic strength from a pure currency effect.
- Re-express yen-weakness rallies in dollar terms to test how much real strength is there.
- A Nikkei holding firm through yen appreciation points to internal drivers such as domestic demand or governance reform.
- When yen carry trades unwind, a Nikkei break and global risk aversion can arrive together.
The BOJ and the price-weighted structure
Bank of Japan rate policy and its legacy of ETF purchases have shaped index flows for years. Layered on top is price weighting, which lets a few high-priced constituents dominate index moves out of proportion to their economic size.
- Expect joint volatility in the index and the yen around BOJ decisions and yield-curve commentary.
- A widening Nikkei-TOPIX gap usually traces back to concentration in a few expensive constituents.
- Company-specific news in the top index contributors can distort what the headline index appears to say.
What Korean investors should watch
Japan supplies critical semiconductor materials and equipment while competing with Korea in autos and steel. The Nikkei-yen pair therefore reflects both Korean exporters' price competitiveness and broader Asian risk appetite.
- Extended yen weakness warrants a check on the relative pricing pressure facing Korean auto and steel exporters.
- A joint Nikkei-KOSPI advance leans toward a genuine improvement in Asia-wide risk appetite.
- On sharp Nikkei moves, read USD/KRW and the VIX Index together to size the likely spillover.
Related views