Tokyo’s Nikkei index inches down at close

07 Mar, 2024

TOKYO: Tokyo’s key Nikkei index ended marginally lower on Wednesday as global investors locked in profits after recent rallies.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 index edged down 0.02 percent, or 6.85 points, to end at 40,090.78, while the broader Topix index added 0.39 percent, or 10.74 points, to 2,730.67.

The dollar stood at 149.91 yen, against 149.97 yen in New York.

US tech stocks fell overnight, with Apple shares dropping on news that iPhone sales in China were lower.

That dented Tokyo stocks at the open, with the Nikkei down 0.60 percent before recovering to end nearly flat. The upswing was in part due to “strong performance by semiconductor-linked shares”, Daiwa Securities said.

“Even as the New York market slumped, expectations for Japanese stocks avoided crumbling today as well,” the brokerage said. Market players will be paying close attention to testimony by US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell in Congress on Wednesday and Thursday.

Among major shares in Tokyo, chip-testing equipment maker Advantest climbed 1.61 percent to 7,301 yen and Sony Group edged up 0.03 percent to 12,955 yen. SoftBank Group dropped 1.48 percent to 8,874 yen and Uniqlo operator Fast Retailing slipped 0.92 percent to 43,870 yen.

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