Tokyo, Japan – The Japanese stock market concluded the week on a lower note, with the Nikkei 225 down by 0.11% at the close of Friday’s session. The decline was primarily attributed to losses in the Banking, Insurance, and Steel sectors, which weighed on overall market sentiment.
At the close, the Nikkei 225 stood at a loss of 0.11%.
Top Performers on Nikkei 225
Despite the overall decline, certain stocks exhibited notable gains during the session. Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding (TYO:7003) emerged as a top performer, experiencing a rise of 5.34%, or 29.00 points, closing at 572.00. Seven & i Holdings Co., Ltd. (TYO:3382) also demonstrated strength, adding 5.31%, or 292.00 points, to conclude at 5,787.00. Trend Micro Inc. (TYO:4704) displayed a positive performance, up 4.51% or 339.00 points, closing at 7,853.00.
Worst Performers on Nikkei 225
Conversely, certain stocks faced declines during the session. Rakuten Inc (TYO:4755) was among the worst performers, experiencing a fall of 4.39%, or 25.70 points, closing at 560.00. Taiyo Yuden Co., Ltd. (TYO:6976) witnessed a decline of 3.63%, or 139.00 points, concluding at 3,695.00. CyberAgent Inc (TYO:4751) also faced a downturn, down 3.11% or 27.80 points, closing at 866.80.
Market Dynamics
The Tokyo Stock Exchange witnessed a higher number of falling stocks compared to advancing ones, with 2113 stocks declining, 1519 advancing, and 240 remaining unchanged.
Market Volatility and Commodities
The Nikkei Volatility, reflecting the implied volatility of Nikkei 225 options, experienced an increase of 5.70%, reaching 17.05.
In commodities trading, crude oil for January delivery was down by 0.14% at $75.85 a barrel. Meanwhile, Brent oil for February delivery fell by 0.32%, hitting $80.60 a barrel. The December Gold Futures contract rose by 0.16%, trading at $2,041.30 a troy ounce.
Currency Movement
In currency markets, USD/JPY was down by 0.08% at 148.07, while EUR/JPY rose by 0.09% to 161.50. The US Dollar Index Futures experienced a decrease of 0.14%, settling at 103.28.