The trading day in Japan concluded on a downward trend, with losses in the Paper & Pulp, Retail, and Chemical, Petroleum & Plastic sectors contributing to the overall decline in shares.
At the close of trading in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 index experienced a decrease of 0.90%.
Among the top performers on the Nikkei 225 were Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc. (TYO:9501), which saw a rise of 5.83% or 61.00 points, closing at 1,104.50. Similarly, Kansai Electric Power Co Inc (TYO:9503) recorded a gain of 4.25% or 100.00 points, ending at 2,453.00, while Mitsubishi Materials Corp. (TYO:5711) saw an increase of 4.12% or 128.00 points, reaching 3,240.00 in late trade.
Conversely, the session’s worst performers included Astellas Pharma Inc. (TYO:4503), which experienced a decline of 7.96% or 125.00 points, closing at 1,446.00. Takashimaya Co., Ltd. (TYO:8233) also saw a decrease of 6.66% or 168.00 points, ending at 2,359.50, while Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co Ltd (TYO:4506) dropped by 3.69% or 15.00 points, closing at 394.00.
On the Tokyo Stock Exchange, declining stocks outnumbered advancing ones by a margin of 2252 to 1406, with 221 remaining unchanged.
Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc. (TYO:9501) saw its shares rise to 5-year highs, while Astellas Pharma Inc. (TYO:4503) witnessed a decline to 3-year lows. Kansai Electric Power Co Inc (TYO:9503) and Mitsubishi Materials Corp. (TYO:5711) also reached 5-year highs during the trading session.
The Nikkei Volatility index, which measures the implied volatility of Nikkei 225 options, experienced a decline of 3.67%, reaching 19.97.
In commodities trading, crude oil for May delivery experienced a decline of 0.51%, reaching $85.22 a barrel. Brent oil for delivery in June also fell by 0.45%, closing at $90.04 a barrel, while the June Gold Futures contract saw a slight increase of 0.03%, trading at $2,374.90 a troy ounce.
The USD/JPY pair experienced a gain of 0.35%, reaching 153.82, while the EUR/JPY pair rose by 0.75%, reaching 163.99.
The US Dollar Index Futures saw a decrease of 0.14%, reaching 105.68.