Tokyo equities finished the session lower, with the Nikkei 225 ending down 3.57% as losses in Paper & Pulp, Transport and Communication sectors pushed the market lower.
The session's top performers on the Nikkei 225 were BayCurrent Consulting Inc (TYO:6532), which climbed 2.73% or 121.00 points to close at 4,549.00; Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd. (TYO:5801), which gained 2.37% or 680.00 points to finish at 29,400.00; and Inpex Corp. (TYO:1605), which was up 0.53% or 25.00 points to 4,700.00 in late trade.
On the downside, Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd. (TYO:5713) led decliners, losing 8.77% or 878.00 points to end at 9,137.00. Taiheiyo Cement Corp. (TYO:5233) declined 8.68% or 327.00 points to close at 3,439.00, while Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc. (TYO:9501) fell 8.41% or 60.00 points to 653.40.
Broader market breadth was weak. Falling issues outnumbered advancing ones on the Tokyo Stock Exchange by 3,393 to 314, with 100 stocks ending unchanged.
Certain share price milestones were recorded during the session. Taiheiyo Cement Corp. (TYO:5233) moved to a 52-week low after its 8.68% decline to 3,439.00. Conversely, Inpex Corp. (TYO:1605) rose to an all-time high, gaining 0.53% to reach 4,700.00.
Market volatility, as measured by the Nikkei Volatility index for Nikkei 225 options, eased modestly - the index was down 1.70% to 32.44.
Commodities and currencies moved alongside equities. Crude oil for May delivery rose 1.05% or 1.00 to $96.46 a barrel, while Brent oil for May delivery climbed 5.81% or 6.24 to $113.62 a barrel. The April Gold Futures contract fell 2.58% or 126.54 to trade at $4,769.66 a troy ounce.
In currency markets, USD/JPY was down 0.11% to 159.64 and EUR/JPY fell 0.05% to 182.95. The US Dollar Index Futures moved higher, up 0.16% at 100.04.
Market snapshot
- Nikkei 225 -3.57% at close
- Top gainers included BayCurrent Consulting Inc, Furukawa Electric and Inpex Corp
- Largest decliners included Sumitomo Metal Mining, Taiheiyo Cement and Tokyo Electric Power