Latest news with #TheTokyoStockExchange
Yomiuri Shimbun
12 hours ago
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Japan's Nikkei Stock Average Trades Lower as Uncertainties in Middle East Conflict Weigh
Yomiuri Shimbun file photo The Tokyo Stock Exchange TOKYO, June 20 (Reuters) – Japan's Nikkei share average reversed early gains to trade lower on Friday as geopolitical risks surrounding the Middle East conflict weighed on sentiment. As of 0208 GMT, the Nikkei .N225 was down 0.1% at 38,442.36, after rising as much as 0.4% earlier in the session. The index is set to rise 1.6% for the week. The broader Topix .TOPX fell 0.29% to 2,784.02 but is on course to post a 1% weekly gain. 'With the absence of market-moving catalysts, uncertainties surrounding the Middle East tensions dragged investor sentiment,' said Shoichi Arisawa, general manager of the investment research department at IwaiCosmo Securities. The White House said on Thursday that U.S. President Donald Trump will make a decision within the next two weeks whether to support Israel in its ongoing conflict with Iran. 'On top of the uncertainties about the conflict in the region, the outlook of the U.S. tariff plans remains unclear,' said Arisawa. Uniqlo-brand owner Fast Retailing 9983.T fell 2.1%, dragging the Nikkei the most. Game maker Konami Group 9766.T lost 1.7%. Department store operator Retailing 3086.T fell 2.87% to become the worst performer of the Nikkei. Chip-testing equipment maker Advantest 6857.T jumped 4.6% to become the biggest support to the Nikkei. Chip-making equipment maker Tokyo Electron 8035.T reversed early gains to trade 0.25% lower. Machinery maker Amada 6113.T rose 5% to become the top performer of the Nikkei. Of more than 1,600 stocks trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's prime market, 37% rose and 57% fell, while 4% traded flat.
Yomiuri Shimbun
a day ago
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Japan's Nikkei Stock Average Retreats from 4-Month High as Threat of US Involvement in Iran Conflict Looms
Yomiuri Shimbun file photo The Tokyo Stock Exchange TOKYO, June 19 (Reuters) – Japan's Nikkei share average retreated from a four-month high on Thursday as the threat of war between the United States and Iran dampened demand for higher-yielding assets. The Nikkei 225 Index .N225 slid 0.8%, snapping a three-day rise that lifted the gauge to the highest since February 20. The broader Topix .TOPX lost 0.6%. The Israel-Iran conflict entered its seventh day, and President Donald Trump was ambiguous about whether the U.S. would join in bombardment of Iran's nuclear sites. 'Heightened tensions in the Middle East continue to cool investor sentiment, with the downside appearing to widen,' said Nomura strategist Fumika Shimizu. There were 48 advancers on the Nikkei against 175 decliners. The biggest losers were Taiyo Yuden 6976.T, down 3.1%, followed by Sumitomo Pharma 4506.T, which lost 3%. The largest gainer was Nippon Steel Corp 5401.T, surging 4.3% after it completed its long-simmering $14.9 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel X.N.
Yomiuri Shimbun
2 days ago
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Nikkei Hits Four-Month High on Weak Yen; Geopolitical Tensions Weigh
Yomiuri Shimbun file photo The Tokyo Stock Exchange SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Japan's Nikkei share average rose to touch a four-month high on Wednesday, boosted by a weaker yen, although investors kept a wary eye on the rapidly escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. The Nikkei was 0.59% higher at 38,766.01 as of 0226 GMT, having touched 38,786.64, its highest level since Feb. 21. The broader Topix rose 0.4%. The biggest boost to the Nikkei came from Uniqlo-brand owner Fast Retailing, Switch-maker Nintendo and chip firm Advantest .that were up 1.4%, 6% and 1.1%, respectively. The gains in Japanese shares were capped by geopolitical tensions, with investors increasingly nervous over the possibility of a more direct U.S. military involvement in the Middle East. Reuters reported, citing three U.S. officials, that the U.S. military is deploying more fighter aircraft to the region and extending the deployment of other warplanes. U.S. President Donald Trump called for Iran's 'unconditional surrender.' Maki Sawada, an equities strategist at Nomura Securities, said the market is cautious about developments in the Middle East, and will be sensitive to any headlines. 'Market caution seemed to have calmed yesterday, but it is building again. The weaker yen is providing support,' Maki said. The yen hit a one-week low of 145.445 per U.S. dollar in early trading. A weaker Japanese currency tends to boost shares of exporters, as it increases the value of overseas profits in yen terms when firms repatriate the money to Japan. Markets shrugged off the move by the Bank of Japan on Tuesday to hold interest rates steady and decelerate the pace of its balance sheet drawdown next year. 'Japan remains one of our favored equity markets,' said Ben Powell, Chief APAC Investment Strategist at the BlackRock Investment Institute. 'Ongoing shareholder-friendly reforms to boost profitability support our tactical overweight on Japanese stocks. We prefer unhedged equity exposures, given the yen's tendency to strengthen during periods of market stress.'
Yomiuri Shimbun
3 days ago
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Japan's Nikkei Stock Average Wall Street Gains, Shrugs off BOJ Decision
Yomiuri Shimbun file photo The Tokyo Stock Exchange TOKYO, June 17 (Reuters) – Japan's Nikkei share average advanced on Tuesday, tracking overnight Wall Street gains, following signs of a potential de-escalation of tensions in the Middle East. The equity market largely shrugged off the Bank of Japan's decision to slow its pace of government bond purchase reductions from next April, and keep interest rates steady, as expected. The Nikkei .N225 rose 0.6% to 38,524.52, as of 0346 GMT, shortly after the central bank's announcement. The broader Topix .TOPX added 0.3%. All three major U.S. stock indexes advanced strongly on Monday as market sentiment improved with Iran seeking a ceasefire with Israel. Meanwhile, the BOJ maintained short-term rates at 0.5% by a unanimous vote at the two-day policy meeting that ended on Tuesday. At the same time, BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda is likely to reiterate a commitment to raising rates when he holds a press conference at 0630 GMT, despite rising uncertainty from U.S. trade tariffs and global conflicts including in the Middle East. Under its fiscal 2026 plan starting in April, the BOJ will reduce monthly bond buying by 200 billion yen ($1.38 billion) each quarter, reducing the total to around 2 trillion yen by March 2027. Japanese growth shares outperformed, with a Topix index of the securities .TOPXG up 0.5%, compared with a 0.2% rise for value shares .TOPXV. Chip-related stocks were among the Nikkei's top performers. Disco 6146.T was the biggest percentage gainer with a 6.5% surge. Advantest 6857.T climbed 2.8% and Tokyo Electron 8035.T advanced 3.2%. Out of the Nikkei's 225 components, 139 rose, 83 fell and three traded flat.
Yomiuri Shimbun
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Japan's Nikkei Stock Average Rises as Weaker Yen Provides Boost to Exporters
Yomiuri Shimbun file photo The Tokyo Stock Exchange TOKYO, June 16 (Reuters) – Japan's Nikkei share average rose on Monday even as the conflict between Israel and Iran continued, with a weaker yen supporting sentiment. As of 0155 GMT, the Nikkei .N225 was up 0.9% at 38,164.07, while the broader Topix .TOPX rose 0.54% to 2,772.46. 'Investors were less worried about geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, and the market saw no need for additional sell-offs,' said Kentaro Hayashi, senior strategist at Daiwa Securities. 'There is an optimism that the conflict will be contained with countries like the United States and Russia stepping in,' he added. The Nikkei fell on Friday after Israel launched strikes against Iran, and Wall Street ended sharply lower later in the day. On Monday, Advantest 6857.T jumped 8% to provide the biggest boost to the Nikkei. The chip-making equipment maker, one of the largest components of the Nikkei, tends to be bought when the market bets the upside of the benchmark index. Automakers rose on the back of a weaker yen, with Honda Motor 7267.T and Nissan Motor 7201.T rising 3.4% and 1%, respectively. Toyota Motor 7203.T was up 0.4%. The yen fell at the end of the week as investors bought safe-haven assets, such as the U.S. dollar. The greenback was last up 0.17% to 144.325 against the Japanese yen JPY=EBS. A weaker Japanese currency tends to boost shares of exporters, as it increases the value of overseas profits in yen terms when firms repatriate the money to Japan. Nippon Steel 5401.T rose 2.4% after U.S President Donald Trump approved its $14.9 billion bid for U.S. Steel X.N on Friday. The sector for steel makers .ISTEL.T rose 1.77% to become the top performer among the Tokyo Stock Exchange's (TSE) 33 industry sub-indexes. The shipping sector .ISHIP.T rose 1.66% on expectations for rising freight rates amid the Middle East conflict. Kawasaki Kisen 9107.T rose 2.4%. Of more than 1,600 stocks trading on the TSE's prime market, 66% rose and 28% fell with 4% trading flat.
