LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST: NPR's business news begins with a big dive in Japan.</s>LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST: Tokyo's Nikkei Index plunged more than six percent by the time Japan's markets closed today. That sent shockwaves through global stocks and currency markets.</s>LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST: Just three weeks ago, Japanese stocks were at a multi-year high - raising hopes for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's efforts to revitalize the world's third-largest economy. Since then the market has dropped over 20 percent.</s>LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST: Analysts say this is due in part to investor fears that both Japan and the U.S. will slow stimulus spending.
Just three weeks ago, Japanese stocks were at a multi-year high — raising hopes for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's efforts to revitalize the world's third-largest economy. Since then, the market has dropped more than 20 percent.