The Nikkei Stock Average traded lower on the Tokyo Stock Exchange morning session on the 24th, falling 236.10 yen, or 0.36%, from the previous weekend to 65,780.26 at 11 a.m. The broader Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market remained resilient, with 856 advancing issues against 625 decliners and 69 unchanged, while 17 of 33 sectors gained. SoftBank Group was the biggest drag, reducing the index by 165.73 yen, followed by Advantest at 120.68 yen, as several semiconductor-related stocks declined. Tokyo Electron was the leading positive contributor, adding 85.48 yen. The divergence highlighted different performance within the semiconductor industry, while profit-taking and concerns about elevated valuations limited upside despite firm medium- to long-term expectations for generative AI demand.