Nikkei ends lower after sinking below 50,000 on tech issues' declines

The Nikkei stock index ended down over 2 percent on Wednesday after briefly sliding over 4 percent to below the 50,000 line, as heavyweight technology shares were sold following recent surges.The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average plunged 1,284.93 points, or 2.50 percent, from Tuesday to 50,212.27. The broader Topix index finished 41.85 points, or 1.26 percent, lower at 3,268.29.On the top-tier Prime Market, the main decliners were nonferrous metal, information and communication and electric appliance issues.The U.S. dollar briefly weakened to around the 153 yen line in Tokyo as the yen, seen a…READ FULL ARTICLE