Tokyo markets end lower

TOKYO: Tokyo stocks ended lower on Monday on investor fears that the Israel-Hamas war may deteriorate into a wider Middle East crisis.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 index fell 0.83 percent, or 259.81 points, to end at 30,999.55, while the broader Topix index slipped 0.75 percent, or 16.84 points, to 2,238.81.

The Tokyo market took cues from Wall Street on Friday, where “three main indices slipped on vigilance against escalations in Middle East and the prospect of prolonged monetary tightening,” IwaiCosmo Securities said. Meanwhile, the selling of Japanese government bonds has intensified, with long-term interest rates hitting 0.855 percent, the highest level since July 2013.

Among major shares in Tokyo, Toyota trimmed 0.26 percent to 2,610 yen, SoftBank Group lost 1.99 percent to 6,130 yen and Sony Group fell 0.91 percent to 12,440 yen.