Global Market: Japan stocks fall over 1% as chip shares tumble, SoftBank declines despite earnings beat

Japan's Nikkei fell over 1% on Friday, dragged down by a selloff in AI and semiconductor stocks, even as the broader Topix stayed roughly flat. SoftBank Group was a key laggard, dropping 4.3% despite posting a smaller-than-expected 18% profit decline for the quarter, investors weren't convinced the results were strong enough to sustain a rally.