Japan's Nikkei ends 4% lower as SoftBank tanks on OpenAI IPO delay report

Japan's Nikkei tumbled 4.15% to 69,360.88, reversing part of the prior session's record high, as SoftBank plunged 12.53% on a New York Times report that OpenAI is considering delaying its IPO until next year. AI and chip-related heavyweights also declined, with Advantest down 9.64%, Kioxia falling 11.24%, and Tokyo Electron losing 3.21%, while the Korean KOSPI triggered circuit breakers for the second time this week, weighing on broader Asian sentiment.