<p>Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei index lost more than one percent Wednesday on slumping US high-tech shares and fears of a coronavirus vaccine delay after a trial was paused temporarily.</p>.<p>The Nikkei 225 was down 1.04 per cent, or 241.59 points, to close at 23,032.54 while the broader Topix index fell 0.96 per cent, or 15.49 points, to 1,605.40.</p>.<p>"Investors are disheartened by sharp falls in US shares, with high-techs leading losses," Yoshihiro Ito, chief strategist at Okasan Online Securities, said in a commentary.</p>.<p>On Tuesday, Wall Street stocks finished sharply lower, with the tech-rich Nasdaq suffering another drubbing in a broadening sell-off.</p>.<p>"Among high-tech shares, chip-linked stocks were hit hard by the Nasdaq slump," Daiwa Securities chief technical analyst Eiji Kinouchi told AFP.</p>.<p id="page-title"><strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/science-and-environment/astrazeneca-pauses-covid-19-vaccine-trial-for-safety-review-884647.html" target="_blank">AstraZeneca pauses Covid-19 vaccine trial for safety review</a></strong></p>.<p>Before the opening bell in Tokyo, AstraZeneca, a frontrunner in the global race for a Covid-19 vaccine, said it had paused a clinical trial of its candidate in what it called a routine action after a volunteer developed an unexplained illness.</p>.<p>"The news also dampened market sentiment in Japan, which is heavily counting on vaccines for hosting the Olympics," Kinouchi said.</p>.<p id="page-title"><strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/business/business-news/astrazeneca-pharma-shares-tank-134-as-covid-19-vaccine-trial-paused-884766.html" target="_blank">AstraZeneca Pharma shares tank 13.4% as Covid-19 vaccine trial paused</a></strong></p>.<p>Markets worldwide have been closely tracking efforts to develop a vaccine, with the hope a successful formula will speed up the global economic recovery.</p>.<p>Analysts also said investors were watching policy debates among three candidates for Japan's next prime minister to get fresh cues for trade.</p>.<p>The dollar fetched 105.90 yen in Asian afternoon trade, against 106.00 yen in New York late Tuesday.</p>.<p>In Tokyo, SoftBank Group, which has heavily invested in US high-tech shares, lost 2.87 per cent to 5,677 yen, dipping for the fifth straight day.</p>.<p>Chip-making equipment manufacturer Tokyo Electron dropped 2.05 per cent to 26,025 yen as Advantest, creator of semiconductor testing equipment, plunged 2.54 per cent to 4,980 yen.</p>
<p>Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei index lost more than one percent Wednesday on slumping US high-tech shares and fears of a coronavirus vaccine delay after a trial was paused temporarily.</p>.<p>The Nikkei 225 was down 1.04 per cent, or 241.59 points, to close at 23,032.54 while the broader Topix index fell 0.96 per cent, or 15.49 points, to 1,605.40.</p>.<p>"Investors are disheartened by sharp falls in US shares, with high-techs leading losses," Yoshihiro Ito, chief strategist at Okasan Online Securities, said in a commentary.</p>.<p>On Tuesday, Wall Street stocks finished sharply lower, with the tech-rich Nasdaq suffering another drubbing in a broadening sell-off.</p>.<p>"Among high-tech shares, chip-linked stocks were hit hard by the Nasdaq slump," Daiwa Securities chief technical analyst Eiji Kinouchi told AFP.</p>.<p id="page-title"><strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/science-and-environment/astrazeneca-pauses-covid-19-vaccine-trial-for-safety-review-884647.html" target="_blank">AstraZeneca pauses Covid-19 vaccine trial for safety review</a></strong></p>.<p>Before the opening bell in Tokyo, AstraZeneca, a frontrunner in the global race for a Covid-19 vaccine, said it had paused a clinical trial of its candidate in what it called a routine action after a volunteer developed an unexplained illness.</p>.<p>"The news also dampened market sentiment in Japan, which is heavily counting on vaccines for hosting the Olympics," Kinouchi said.</p>.<p id="page-title"><strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/business/business-news/astrazeneca-pharma-shares-tank-134-as-covid-19-vaccine-trial-paused-884766.html" target="_blank">AstraZeneca Pharma shares tank 13.4% as Covid-19 vaccine trial paused</a></strong></p>.<p>Markets worldwide have been closely tracking efforts to develop a vaccine, with the hope a successful formula will speed up the global economic recovery.</p>.<p>Analysts also said investors were watching policy debates among three candidates for Japan's next prime minister to get fresh cues for trade.</p>.<p>The dollar fetched 105.90 yen in Asian afternoon trade, against 106.00 yen in New York late Tuesday.</p>.<p>In Tokyo, SoftBank Group, which has heavily invested in US high-tech shares, lost 2.87 per cent to 5,677 yen, dipping for the fifth straight day.</p>.<p>Chip-making equipment manufacturer Tokyo Electron dropped 2.05 per cent to 26,025 yen as Advantest, creator of semiconductor testing equipment, plunged 2.54 per cent to 4,980 yen.</p>