Tokyo - Japanese equities ended the trading day lower on Friday, with the Nikkei 225 retreating 0.36% at the close as sector-level weakness in Paper & Pulp, Transport and Communication pushed the index into negative territory.
At the close, the Nikkei 225 stood down 0.36%.
The session produced distinct winners and losers among large caps. The top performer on the Nikkei 225 was Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (TYO:9107), which surged 7.28%, gaining 231.00 points to finish at 3,405.00. Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. (TYO:4005) climbed 7.18%, or 37.50 points, to end at 559.80, while Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc. (TYO:9501) rose 4.65%, adding 24.40 points to close at 549.30.
On the downside, Japan Steel Works Ltd (TYO:5631) posted the steepest drop on the index, falling 4.65%, a decline of 361.00 points to settle at 7,410.00. Trend Micro Inc. (TYO:4704) slipped 4.13%, down 236.00 points to 5,472.00, and Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co Ltd (TYO:4506) fell 3.65%, losing 53.50 points to finish at 1,411.50.
Market breadth favored advancing issues, with 1,860 stocks rising versus 1,597 that declined on the Tokyo Stock Exchange; 288 issues finished unchanged.
Notably, shares of Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (TYO:9107) reached a five-year high in the session, moving to 3,405.00 on the 7.28% advance.
Volatility metrics shifted lower as well: the Nikkei Volatility index, which tracks implied volatility on Nikkei 225 options, fell 8.51% to 29.68.
Commodities and currencies showed modest moves. Crude oil for October delivery eased 0.56%, down $0.49 to $86.34 a barrel. Brent crude for October slipped 0.41%, or $0.38, to $93.40 a barrel. In metals, the December Gold Futures contract increased 1.02%, up $46.64 to trade at $4,618.04 a troy ounce.
On the currency front, USD/JPY was down 0.10% at 158.89, while EUR/JPY rose 0.08% to 185.86. The US Dollar Index Futures declined 0.17% to 98.64.
Market snapshot
- Nikkei 225 -0.36% at close
- Advancers 1,860 | Decliners 1,597 | Unchanged 288
- Nikkei Volatility -8.51% to 29.68