TOKYO: Japan’s Nikkei share gauge slid on Thursday, snapping a two-day advance, as trade frictions and an upcoming election weighed on investor sentiment.
The Nikkei 225 Index lost 0.6% to 39,646.36, while the broader Topix shed 0.6%.
The Nikkei closed above the psychological level of 40,000 on June 27 for the first time since early January, but since then has hovered mostly below that line.
“The Nikkei has been struggling to move higher ahead of the 40,000 mark,” said Wataru Akiyama, a strategist at Nomura Securities.
“The stock market may be taking a wait-and-see attitude given the lack of progress in the Japan-US tariff negotiations and the upper house election.”
Retailer Aeon plunged 4.9% after postponing its earnings announcement due to the discovery of inappropriate accounting practices at a Vietnamese subsidiary.