Nikkei

The Nikkei 225 is a price-weighted index of 225 large-CAP companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, operated by Nikkei Inc since 1950. Like the Dow Jones, its price weighting gives higher-priced constituent stocks greater influence. Alongside the KOSPI and Hang Seng, it is one of Asia's primary gauges of regional economic sentiment, closely tracked by global institutional investors.

Japan imports roughly 90% of its crude oil, leaving the Nikkei structurally exposed to any disruption on Gulf supply routes. During the Iran conflict that broke out in early 2026, the index fell 7.05% in a single session on 14 March, dropping below 52,000 for the first time since January as Hormuz closure fears intensified. Nikkei-listed exporters such as SoftBank fell even harder in the same move.

Nikkei Inc also owns the Financial Times, acquired from Pearson in 2015 for £844 million, giving the company a dual identity as both a financial data provider and one of the world's most influential English-language news organisations. The index remains the primary lens through which international investors read Japanese and North Asian economic health.