TOKYO: Tokyo stocks closed lower on Tuesday as investors grappled with fears Russia will invade Ukraine and fretted about US monetary tightening.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 index ended down 0.79 percent, or 214.40 points, at 26,865.19, while the broader Topix index lost 0.83 percent, or 15.95 points, to close at 1,914.70. The United States and its allies have vowed to respond to an invasion with tough sanctions on Moscow that could have ripple effects on global markets.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later Tuesday, a government source said, as Tokyo expressed “grave concern” about the risk of a Russian invasion.
Early investor attention on Japan’s GDP data for the three months to December, released before the opening bell, was overwhelmed by ongoing fears about Russian troops crossing the Ukrainian border and the US Federal Reserve’s plan to hike rates, analysts said.
Tokyo investors are “digesting US monetary tightening (plans) and geopolitical risks (linked to tension in Ukraine) while refraining from active buying.
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