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| - Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei index closed down more than three percent Tuesday as tech shares were hit by selling pressure following a plunge in the Nasdaq on Wall Street. The Nikkei 225 index sank 3.08 percent, or 909.75 points, to 28,608.59, while the broader Topix index dropped 2.37 percent, or 46.35 points, to 1,905.92. Tokyo shares opened sharply lower and extended their losses in afternoon trade after the tech-rich Nasdaq dropped 2.6 percent Monday. "Stocks fell broadly but high-tech shares were hit hard," Shinichi Yamamoto, a broker at Okasan Securities, told AFP. "We don't need to be too pessimistic but trading is expected to remain cautious for now," Yamamoto said. Daiwa Securities chief technical analyst Eiji Kinouchi said: "Bargain-hunting is likely to emerge at this level of the Nikkei. Tokyo shares are likely to touch the bottom in a week or so and rebound moderately." Investors continued to focus on corporate results as Japan's earnings season reaches its peak, Kinouchi added. The dollar stood at 108.85 yen in Asian afternoon trade, compared with 108.77 yen in New York. si/sah/leg
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