Most Read: AUD/USD Forecast: Are Fresh Highs Incoming After RBA Rate Hold? Japanese stocks experienced a widespread sell-off on Wednesday as investors chose to cash in profits following the market's recent strong rally, marking the beginning of the second half of the fiscal year. The main Nikkei index fell by 0.85%, closing at its lowest point since September 11, and marking its fourth straight session of losses. However, Tokyo Electron's shares fell 2.09% on the day, and tech investor SoftBank Group lost 2.38%, becoming the biggest downward drags on the Nikkei. President Trump escalated the situation by suggesting he might permanently fire "a lot" of federal workers.