TOKYO — Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 0.73% to 65,877.62 on Monday, shedding 486.59 points, as an early surge above 67,000 faded into profit-taking in chip and artificial intelligence shares, ending a five-session winning streak on the last day for investors to qualify for interim dividends.

The index opened higher at 66,506, helped by a strong lead from Wall Street, lower crude oil prices and softer U.S. long-term yields, according to News On Japan. Early buying in semiconductor and AI-related shares pushed the Nikkei as high as 67,035, briefly reclaiming the 67,000 level. The strength did not last. The index was still marginally higher at about 10:18 a.m., at 66,404.70, according to Yahoo Finance. Buying eased once it had climbed more than 600 points above Friday's close, and profit-taking spread through the semiconductor group, pulling the benchmark below Friday's level.

The broader market also slipped, showing the weakness was not confined to the price-weighted Nikkei. The TOPIX index fell 16.59 points to 4,112.00, and the Growth Market 250 Index dropped 9.08 points to 791.47, as smaller growth stocks remained vulnerable to higher yields and profit-taking, News On Japan reported. Investing.com's session summary said falling stocks outnumbered advancers on the Tokyo Stock Exchange by 2,116 to 1,401, with 243 unchanged.

Monday's decline followed a strong run. The........

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