Japan's Nikkei slumps to weekly loss on tech share profit-taking

TOKYO: Japan’s Nikkei share average slumped on Friday, sending the benchmark index to a weekly loss, as traders took profits on high-flying tech shares heading into the weekend.

The Nikkei dropped 2%, or about 1,245 index points, to end the day at 61,409.29, reversing early gains of as much as 0.9%.

Chip-testing equipment maker Advantest was the biggest drag, slumping 7.9% to shave 544 index points from the Nikkei. Fellow heavyweight Tokyo Electron lost 1.8%.

Fujikura tumbled 7.4%, extending Thursday’s 19% plunge following disappointing profit forecasts from the data-centre cable maker.

Japan’s broader Topix slipped 0.4% to 3,863.97, flipping from an earlier 1.3% gain that took it to the highest since February 27, the day it marked a record peak at 3,938.68.

The Topix drew support from solid performances by energy and automaker shares, with ENEOS climbing 5.4% following favourable corporate results. Honda leapt 8.3%, extending gains from Thursday, when it pledged at least 800 billion yen ($5.1 billion) in shareholder returns over three years.

For the week, the Topix managed to rise 0.9%, although the Nikkei skidded to a 2.1% decline.

Compared to the Nikkei, “Topix has stood out this week” during the peak of the corporate reporting season as “earnings reports stoke some volatility in the market”, said Nomura equities strategist Wataru Akiyama.

Among the 33 Topix industry groups, 18 fell on Friday. Nonferrous metals, which includes Fujikura and peer Furukawa Electric, sank 6.5% to be the worst performer.

Of the Nikkei’s 225 components, 121 fell and 99 rose, with five ending flat.