Tokyo, July 28 (Jiji Press)--Japan's key Nikkei 225 stock average slumped again on Tuesday as heavy selling hit artificial intelligence- and semiconductor-related stocks. The index of 225 major issues listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's Prime section closed at 62,364.92, down 2,566.27 points, or 3.95 pct, from Monday. The selling of AI and semiconductor issues in Tokyo was amplified by an overnight fall in their U.S. peers, as well as the weakness of these stocks in the South Korean market. After reaching an all-time closing high of 72,366.34 on June 25, the Nikkei average gave up about 10,000 points in roughly a month. The AI and semiconductor sectors were dampened by media reports that U.S. chip giant Nvidia Corp. is in talks to provide 250 billion dollars in financing guarantee to OpenAI for a data center lease, and that China has begun domestic production of semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Meanwhile, some stocks were buoyed by a fall in crude oil prices. Earnings reports from Japanese semiconductor-related are scheduled to begin in earnest this week. "If their earnings reports dispel concerns about the outlook, stocks could rebound," said an official of a major brokerage firm. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]