TOKYO: Japan’s Nikkei share average ended almost unchanged on Thursday, as investors assessed developments in the Middle East, recouping early losses after Washington confirmed that its overnight strikes on Iran had concluded.
The Nikkei closed 0.06 percent higher at 64,217.27, recovering from an early selloff of nearly 3 percent, although market breadth remained weak, with many stocks in negative territory. The broader Topix slid 0.45 percent to 3,830.35.
“There still appears to be a lack of drivers strong enough to attract meaningful fresh inflows, and investors remain somewhat cautious, suggesting the market is not yet ready for a decisive move higher, even if some buying has started to appear,” said Naoto Takahashi, an analyst at Aizawa Securities.
AI-related shares, which had dragged the Nikkei lower earlier in the session, narrowed some losses. Tech investment conglomerate SoftBank Group fell 1.4 percent after tumbling as much as 7.5 percent.
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