TOKYO -- Nidec suffered a sliding share price on Wednesday after the world's largest motor maker warned of an operating loss for the January-March quarter, sending investors scrambling to review the outlook for the company, once hailed as a disrupter in the auto industry.

Nidec shares slipped about 6% on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The drop came after the shares lost almost 50% in value last year following departures of top executives and growing concerns about succession plans for 78-year-old Shigenobu Nagamori, the company's influential founder and CEO.