The Japanese stock market witnessed a downturn in Wednesday’s closing session, primarily attributed to losses in sectors such as Chemical, Petroleum & Plastic, Mining, and Retail.
As the trading day concluded in Tokyo, the benchmark Nikkei 225 index reported a decline of 0.23%.
Among the top performers on the Nikkei 225 were Rakuten Inc (TYO:4755), showcasing a notable increase of 7.53%, equivalent to 44.00 points, closing at 628.00. Following suit, CyberAgent Inc (TYO:4751) recorded a gain of 3.33%, adding 28.50 points to finish at 885.10. DIC Corp (TYO:4631) also posted positive results, rising by 2.88% or 77.50 points, concluding the late trade at 2,771.50.
On the flip side, the session’s underperformers included Idemitsu Kosan Co Ltd (TYO:5019), which witnessed a decline of 2.33% or 18.30 points, closing at 767.50. Pacific Metals Co., Ltd. (TYO:5541) experienced a downturn of 2.02%, shedding 25.00 points to settle at 1,214.00. Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding (TYO:7003) reported a decrease of 1.81%, translating to 13.00 points, concluding the session at 706.00.
In terms of market breadth, falling stocks surpassed advancing ones on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, resulting in a ratio of 0 to 0.
The Nikkei Volatility, a measure of implied volatility for Nikkei 225 options, saw an uptick of 2.11%, reaching 17.46.
In commodities trading, crude oil for February delivery experienced a marginal increase of 0.06%, equivalent to 0.04, closing at $70.42 a barrel. Brent oil for March delivery recorded a rise of 0.14%, adding 0.11 to reach $76.00 a barrel. Meanwhile, the February Gold Futures contract observed a minor decline of 0.03%, or 0.55, settling at $2,072.85 per troy ounce.
In currency markets, USD/JPY displayed a slight increase of 0.05%, reaching 142.05, while EUR/JPY rose by 0.20% to 155.67.
The US Dollar Index Futures demonstrated a decrease of 0.08%, closing at 101.81.
Investors are keeping a close eye on market developments, with a particular focus on factors influencing Japanese stocks and global financial markets.