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[hfe_template id='11223'] [ad_1] Japan's Nikkei share average inched down on Wednesday as investors avoided active bets with Wall Street closed for the Christmas holiday. The Nikkei was down 0.12% at 38,990.56 by the midday break, after rising as much as 0.37% after the open. "The market struggled to find direction with foreign investors away for the holiday season," said Fumio Matsumoto, chief strategist at Okasan Securities. "This time of the year, local individuals were the only ones active in trading but they do not want to place active bets when large stocks do not move actively with the absence of foreign investors." Entertainment company Konami fell 1.74% to drag the Nikkei the most. Drugmaker Daiichi Sankyo lost 1.41% and phone company KDDI slipped 0.59%. The broader Topix fell 0.62% to 2,710.25, dragged lower by Toyota Motor's 0.88% fall. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group lost 0.91%. Honda Motor slipped 0.77% after surging 12.2% in th...

[hfe_template id='11223'] [ad_1] Japan's Nikkei share average marked a second week of declines on Friday as investors weighed the risk outlooks ahead of a domestic election that could see the ruling party lose its majority. The Nikkei closed 0.6% lower at 37,913.92, posting a 2.7% loss for the week. The broader Topix finished down 0.7% at 2,618.32. The markets have been on edge as recent opinion polls suggest voters could end the Liberal Democratic Party's over decade-long dominance on Sunday, forcing the ruling party into power-sharing deals that may undermine the country's leadership. "That's basically the scenario for 'sell Japan'," with investors considering various scenarios on how such an outcome could impact the fiscal and monetary policy outlook, said Naka Matsuzawa, chief macro strategist at Nomura Securities. The losses were widespread as investors adjusted positions on Friday, the last day of trading before votes are counte...

[hfe_template id='11223'] [ad_1] Japan's Nikkei share average rallied more than 2% on Friday, buoyed by further softening of the yen after a strong advocate of "Abenomics" took the lead in first-round votes in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election. The Nikkei ended 2.32% higher at 39,829.56, its highest close since July 19, while the broader Topix finished up 0.73% at 2,740.94. The gains extended after right-wing economic security minister Sanae Takaichi and former defence minister Shigeru Ishiba qualified for the second round of voting to replace Prime Minister Fumio Kishida as the leader of Japan's ruling party. The market was reacting to Takaichi, an advocate of deceased former premier Shinzo Abe's "Abenomics" stimulus policies and a vocal opponent of further interest rate hikes in Japan, coming in with the most votes in the first round, analysts said. "She advocates for monetary easing and fiscal stimulus...

[hfe_template id='11223'] [ad_1] Japan's Nikkei share average rose on Friday and logged its best week since mid-August, but gains were capped as the yen strengthened after the Bank of Japan set the stage for future interest rate hikes The tech-heavy Nikkei ended the day up 1.53% at 37,723.91, with chip-sector stocks rallying in line with their U.S. peers. The index advanced 1.57% for the week. The broader Topix index advanced 0.97%. The Nikkei rose as much as 2.21% in morning trade, paring gains as the yen strengthened after the BOJ upgraded its assessment of consumption and highlighted the increased sensitivity of inflation to currency fluctuations. The BOJ held short-term interest rates steady at 0.25%, as was widely expected following hikes in March and July. In the policy statement, officials judged that "private consumption has been on a moderate increasing trend," a more optimistic assessment than the previous view that consumption was "resili...

[hfe_template id='11223'] [ad_1] Japan's Nikkei share average rose on Thursday after a seven-day slide, as Wall Street's overnight gains and a weaker yen buoyed investor sentiment. The Nikkei index closed 3.4% higher at 36,833.27 in broad-based buying. The broader Topix finished up 2.4% at 2,592.5. The yen softened after hitting its highest against the dollar this year in the previous session. "Due to the impact of the (U.S.) consumer price index report, we are seeing the yen trend weaker. This seems to be contributing to positive movements in Japanese stocks," said Hiroshi Namioka, chief strategist at T&D Asset Management. In a boost to the dollar, Wednesday's CPI report indicated some stickiness in inflation, crushing bets that the Federal Reserve would cut interest rates by 50 basis points next week. Shares of exporters, which tend to benefit from a weaker domestic currency, rebounded. Among the Tokyo Stock Exchange's 33 industry group...

[hfe_template id='11223'] [ad_1] Japan's Nikkei share average fell more than 4% on Wednesday, as chip-related stocks followed AI darling Nvidia lower and soft U.S. manufacturing data reignited fears of a hard landing for the economy. The Nikkei closed 4.24% lower at 37,047.61, marking its lowest close since Aug. 15 and biggest decline since Aug. 5. The broader Topix fell 3.65% to 2,633.49. "Today's decline was a reaction to the sharp recovery from the big losses in mid-August," said Tomochika Kitaoka, chief equity strategist at Nomura Securities. "The market has turned cautious about the state of the U.S. economy and will remain cautious until the non-farm payrolls data due on Friday." The Nikkei fell more than 12% to 31,458.42 on Aug. 5 in its biggest decline since Black Monday amid U.S. recession fears and a sharply stronger yen. On Wednesday, a stronger yen also weighed on local equities, many of which are exporters. "What is differe...

[hfe_template id='11223'] [ad_1] Japan's Nikkei share average rose on Monday to touch the 39,000 level for the first time since late July, helped by a softer yen and Wall Street's gains at the end of last week. The Nikkei had risen 0.2% to 38,709.88 by the midday break. It hit its highest since July 31 at 39,080.64 earlier in the day before profit-taking started as the yen's slide stalled. The broader Topix was flat at 2,712.56. Wall Street stocks gained on Friday after fresh economic data raised expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve would cut interest rates modestly in September. U.S. markets are closed on Monday for a public holiday. The dollar gained against the yen following the latest U.S. economic data, lifting the shares of Japanese exporters. A softer Japanese currency helps exporters as it increases the value of overseas profits in yen terms when firms repatriate them to Japan. Uniqlo parent and Nikkei heavyweight Fast Retailing was last up 0....

[hfe_template id='11223'] [ad_1] Japan's Nikkei share average declined on Monday after two straight sessions of gains, as exporters' stocks, including chip-related and auto firms, were pressured by a stronger yen. The Nikkei fell 0.66% to close at 38,110.22, although recovering from a decline of 1.4% earlier in the session. "In addition to the yen's strength, there are some factors that make investors hesitant to make positive bets. In a very short term, that's Nvidia's outlook this week," said Shuutarou Yasuda, a market analyst at Tokai Tokyo Intelligence Laboratory. Nvidia's blistering run has powered equity markets throughout 2024, and its earnings and forecast later this week could be a key inflection point for market sentiment heading into what is historically a volatile time of the year. The yen rose to a three-week high against the dollar, as U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's dovish shift contrasted sharply with Ban...

[hfe_template id='11223'] [ad_1] Japan's Nikkei share average rose in early trade on Friday, with pharma shares rallying for a second session, although gains were limited as tech stocks followed their U.S. peers lower. Japanese exporter-heavy equity markets also got some broad support from a weaker yen versus the dollar. However, the outlook for the currency pair looks murky, with investors watching Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda's testimony in parliament after last month's surprise rate hike. Market participants are also looking forward to U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's keynote speech at the annual Jackson Hole symposium later in the day. The Nikkei rose 0.2% to 38,288.79 by 0008 GMT, while the broader Topix climbed 0.32%. Pharma was among the top gainers among the Tokyo Stock Exchange's 33 industry groups, with a 1% rise. It climbed 1.56% on Thursday. Sumitomo Pharma gained 2%, while Chugai Pharmaceuticals jumped 2.9%. Electronics m...

[hfe_template id='11223'] [ad_1] Asian stocks rose on Tuesday, led by Japanese shares on the back of a steady yen, with traders awaiting data including the U.S. inflation report to gauge the Federal Reserve's policy outlook after volatile moves last week. Oil prices eased in early trading after a 3% jump in the previous session as investors kept an eye on widening conflict in the Middle East that could tighten global crude supplies. Demand for safe assets lifted gold prices. [O/R] [GOL/] Japan's Nikkei rose more than 2% in early trading following a holiday on Monday, a welcome relief after last week's wild swings that began with a massive sell-off spurred by a rising yen and fears of a U.S. recession. [.T] MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was slightly higher at 556.19. Chinese stocks were little changed in early trading, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index was also flat. "While aftershocks might reveal vulnerabilities, w...

[hfe_template id='11223'] [ad_1] Japanese stocks rebounded sharply on Tuesday, clawing back most of the double-digit losses suffered the previous day as comments from the U.S. Fed and data gave investors pause in their concerns over recession and equity valuations. The Nikkei's rally, after the market's biggest single day rout since the 1987 Black Monday sell-off, came as the yen reversed its gains, indicating the carnage in yen-funded global carry trades too was easing. In a turbulent day of trading, the Nikkei was up 8% at 33,975.53 as of 0516 GMT, after plunging 12.4% on Monday. The index was last up 2,623.1 points, having earlier jumped more than 3,000 points to surpass its largest intraday points gain on record. The broader Topix was up 7.5% at 2,394.33. Investors had been shaken by last week's plunge in global stock markets, U.S. recession risks, and worries investments funded by a cheap yen were being unwound, triggering a sell-off in Japanese equiti...

[hfe_template id='11223'] [ad_1] Japan’s equity benchmarks slid almost 20% from record highs reached last month as investor confidence crumbled from the surge in the yen, tighter monetary policy and the deteriorating economic outlook in the US. The Topix and Nikkei 225 Stock Average fell about 5%, with the former set for a three-day decline that would be the worst since the 2011 Fukushima nuclear meltdown and put them near bear markets. A circuit breaker halted trading of Topix futures for about 10 minutes. Exporters were among the heaviest drags on the Topix after the yen surged more than 1% versus the dollar on the unwinding of carry trades, while banks dropped after yields of 10-year government bonds plunged 13 basis points. “We are basically seeing a mass deleveraging as investors sell assets to fund their losses,” said Kyle Rodda, a senior market analyst at Capital.Com. “The rapidity of the move has caught me off guard; there’s a lot of panic selling now, which is w...

[hfe_template id='11223'] [ad_1] What started as a nasty drop in Japanese stocks on Thursday turned into a full-blown rout on Friday as the Topix index posted its biggest two-day decline since the 2011 tsunami. It’s a stark turnaround from the record high set in July, when Japanese equities were being celebrated as one of the world’s best-performing markets. The Topix sank 6.1% Friday, completing a two-day drop of 9.2% in the wake of Bank of Japan’s earlier-than-expected rate hike Wednesday and Governor Kazuo Ueda’s hawkish messaging. The Topix joined the Nikkei 225 Stock Average in entering a technical correction. “I didn’t expect stocks to fall this much — it’s a disaster,” said Kiyoshi Ishigane, chief fund manager at Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. in Tokyo. “This might be temporary, but Japanese stocks are in their worst situation.” The sharp reversal in Japanese stocks in recent weeks comes as the yen’s rally to a four-month high against the dollar hammers expor...

[hfe_template id='11223'] [ad_1] Japan's Nikkei share average rose on Tuesday, tracking gains in Wall Street, as investors assessed whether an assassination attempt on U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump increased his chances of winning the November elections. The Nikkei closed 0.2% higher at 41,275.08, and the broader Topix finished up 0.34% at 2,904.5. Japan's markets were closed on Monday for a public holiday. U.S. stocks ended higher on Monday as bets of a second Trump presidency raised hopes of a looser regulatory environment. "If Trump were to aggressively implement measures like tax cuts, the stock market is likely to rally," Masahiro Ichikawa, chief market strategist at Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management, said, adding that these expectations prompted buying among Japan's high tech and other shares on Tuesday. Shares of defence-related Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries jumped 5% and 6.2%, respectively, to becom...

[hfe_template id='11223'] [ad_1] Japan's Nikkei share average surged to another record high during morning trade on Thursday, as a rally in U.S. stocks overnight boosted investor sentiment. The Nikkei was up 0.83% to 42,179.84 by the midday break, after jumping over 1% to an all-time intraday high of 42,426.77 points. It was the first time the benchmark index has crossed the 42,000-point mark. The broader Topix was up 0.66% at 2,928.30. Strong performances in all three of Wall Street's main stock indexes on Wednesday kicked off the rally. The Nasdaq and S&P 500 finished at record high closes as U.S. chip maker Nvidia and other heavyweights gained ahead of inflation data and quarterly earnings reports. Japan's semiconductor-related shares marched higher with their U.S. peers, which got a boost from strong quarterly revenue results from contract manufacturer Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Gains were widespread, with 178 of the Nikkei's 225 con...

[hfe_template id='11223'] [ad_1] Asian stocks were on track for a fifth straight month of gains on Friday, bolstered by a growing view that cooling U.S. inflation could prompt the Federal Reserve to ease rates this year, while the yen tumbled to a 38-year low against the dollar. Friday is packed with risk events for markets after a relatively subdued week, with figures for May's U.S. core personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index - the Fed's preferred measure of inflation - taking centre stage later in the day. Asian markets were little fazed by the first U.S. presidential debate between Democratic President Joe Biden and his Republican rival Donald Trump ahead of the November election, though U.S. stock futures and the dollar rose as investors narrowed the odds on a Trump win. "There's a big debate on whether that would be good news or bad news for equity markets, but I can tell you that for bond markets, the consensus is clear. If Trump were...

[hfe_template id='11223'] [ad_1] Japan's Nikkei share average dropped below the psychologically key 38,000 level for the first time this month on Monday, as a risk-off mood prevailed amid concerns about economic growth both at home and abroad. Toyota Motor slid 2.6% amid continued fallout from a certification scandal, with car-related shares among the worst performing sectors. The Nikkei ended the day down 1.8% at 38,102.44, after earlier falling as much as 2.2% to 37,956.49 for the first time since May 30. Of the index's 225 components, 199 fell, while 25 rose and one was flat. The broader Topix skidded 1.7%. Almost all of the Tokyo Stock Exchange's 33 industry groups declined, led by a 3.5% slump for real estate. Only pharma managed a slight gain. "Basically, the Nikkei has been tracking pretty much sideways for a long time, and now it's being shaken a little by some worries about the economy," in Japan, the United States and Europe, said Ka...

[hfe_template id='11223'] [ad_1] Japan's Nikkei share average edged up on Monday as export-related stocks rose on a weaker yen following stronger-than-expected U.S. jobs data, while a rise in domestic yields boosted financial stocks. The Nikkei was up 0.49% at 38,872.19 by the midday break, while the broader Topix rose 0.7% to 2,774.37. The upside surprise in U.S. job growth prompted worries that the Federal Reserve may wait longer to cut interest rates than many investors had hoped. This had the yen brushing the 157 range against the U.S. dollar again, buoying export-related stocks such as Toyota Motor , up 1.7%, which benefit from a weaker currency. Meanwhile, the insurance and banking sectors rallied as Japanese government bond yields tracked U.S. Treasury yields higher, which rose after the jobs data. Of the Nikkei's 225 constituents, 170 advanced, rising modestly to push the index near 39,000 points ahead of monetary policy decisions this week by the Fed a...

[hfe_template id='11223'] [ad_1] Asian share markets rose on Monday as investors looked forward to a rate cut in Europe, and quite possibly Canada, as the next step in global policy easing, though sticky inflation threatens to make the process a drawn out affair. The European Central Bank (ECB) is considered almost certain to trim rates by a quarter point to 3.75% on Thursday, the first time in history it would have eased ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve. However, a surprisingly high reading for Euro zone inflationout last week blunted hopes for a rapid round of reductions and markets have 55 basis points of easing priced in for this year. "The probability of back-to-back cuts now appears very low, putting the focus for a second move on September," said Bruce Kasman, head of economic research at JPMorgan. "We suspect President Christine Lagarde will signal that the direction of rates is downward next week, but the policy statement will emphasize that fu...

[hfe_template id='11223'] [ad_1] Japan's Nikkei share average sank on Friday, tracking declines on Wall Street after robust U.S. economic data stoked bets that stubborn inflation may delay Federal Reserve interest rate cuts. The Nikkei sagged 1.17% to 38,646.11 as of the close, and had earlier dipped as much as 1.9%. The broader Topix dropped 0.44%. All three main U.S. equity indexes declined overnight, led by a 1.5% slump for the Dow, after U.S. manufacturers reported a surge in prices for a range of inputs, suggesting that goods inflation could pick up in the months ahead. The benchmark U.S. 10-year bond yield climbed to a more than one-week peak of 4.498% as traders pared back bets to a likely single quarter-point rate reduction this year, from a consensus for two cuts previously. "It definitely seems, at least in the short term, that moves in Japanese stock prices are in the hands of U.S. yield levels," Kazuo Kamitani, an equities strategist at Nomura...