Japan shares hit near 3-week low on fears of second coronavirus wave

TOKYO: Japanese shares slipped to near three-week low on Monday as concerns about a spike in new cases of COVID-19 worldwide poured cold water on hopes of a quick recovery from a coronavirus-driven global recession.

The benchmark Nikkei average dropped plunged 3.47pc to 21,530.95, its lowest since May 27, slipping below a key support of the 200-day moving average, which stood at 21,755.

As new coronavirus cases resurfaced in China and the United States, worries about a second wave have deepened, prompting fears about prolonged damage to the economy.

"US shares had become very expensive, reaching levels above which further gains cannot be justified. And if US shares won't rise, Japanese shares will have no choice but to pause," said Hiroki Takashi, chief strategist at Monex Securities.

On the Nikkei index, there were 5 advancers against 219 decliners, with cyclical shares leading the losses.

Airlines, one of the hardest-hit victims of the pandemic, lost 4.96pc as concerns about the virus reared their head.

Shippers dropped 3.71pc and real estate, the biggest decliner among the Tokyo Stock Exchange's 33 industry subindexes, lost 5.06pc.

Semi-conductor-related shares were also lower, with chip equipment manufacturer Advantest dropping 6.96pc, Tokyo Electron losing 5.55pc and Screen Holdings shedding 7.0pc.

Sapporo Holdings lost 5.76 pc after Nomura cut its rating on the beverage firm and lowered the target price, citing the impact of the pandemic.

The broader Topix lost 2.54pc to 1537.89.

The market showed muted response to a barrage of Chinese economic data that was slightly weaker than expected.

China's industrial output rose for a second straight month in May but the gain was smaller than expected, suggesting the economy was still struggling to get back on track after the virus crisis.