Key Points
- The Nikkei 225 fell 0.80%, led by losses in the Communication, Steel, and Transportation Equipment sectors, weighing heavily on overall performance.
- Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. (TYO:7201), IHI Corp. (TYO:7013), and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. (TYO:7012) were among the top performers.
- Rakuten Inc (TYO:4755), Nitori Holdings Co Ltd. (TYO:9843), and SoftBank Group Corp. (TYO:9984) were among the worst performers.
- Falling stocks outnumbered rising ones by 2080 to 1537, while 259 stocks remained unchanged. The Nikkei Volatility Index decreased by 1.95% to 19.57.
Japan’s stock market closed lower on Thursday. The Nikkei 225 index dropped by 0.69% or 268.13 to 38,813.58, with losses in the Communication, Steel, and Transportation Equipment sectors weighing heavily on overall performance. Declines outpaced advances across the Tokyo Stock Exchange, highlighting a challenging session for investors.
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. (TYO:7201) stood out as the day’s best performer, surging 6.51% or 27 to close at 445 JPY. IHI Corp. (TYO:7013) followed with a robust 4.93% or 404 gain to end at 8,604 JPY, while Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. (TYO:7012) added 3.24% or 206 to finish at 6,570 JPY.
However, several stocks experienced notable losses. Rakuten Inc. (TYO:4755) declined by 7.98%, or 80, to close at 917 JPY, marking it the session’s worst performer. Nitori Holdings Co Ltd. (TYO:9843) followed, down by 5.40% or 1,065 to reach 18,675 JPY, and SoftBank Group Corp. (TYO:9984) dropped 4.34% or 409 to settle at 9,025 JPY.
Market breadth reflected the bearish sentiment, with 2,080 declining stocks significantly outnumbering 1,537 advancing ones, while 259 remained unchanged. Meanwhile, the Nikkei Volatility Index decreased by 1.95% to 19.57, signaling a slight drop in market uncertainty.
In the commodities market, crude oil for January delivery fell by 1.29% or 0.91 to $69.67 a barrel. Brent oil for February delivery also declined, down 0.42% or 0.31 to $73.08 a barrel. February Gold Futures slid 1.06% or 28.21 to trade at $2,625.09 per troy ounce.
Currency movements saw the USD/JPY pair rise 0.99% to 156.34, while EUR/JPY climbed 1.39% to 162.47. The US Dollar Index Futures also posted a slight increase of 0.05%, ending at 107.81.