Japan Stocks Slip Amid Losses in Key Sectors
The Japanese stock market closed lower on Monday, with losses in the finance, real estate, and steel sectors leading the decline. The Nikkei 225 index fell 0.77% at the close, with the best performers of the session including Hino Motors, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, and Tokai Carbon Co.
The Nikkei 225’s most active stocks, however, were Nissan Motor, Japan Steel Works, and Mitsubishi Motors, which fell by 5.73%, 4.94%, and 3.18% respectively.
Investors may have been influenced by the decline in crude oil prices, with Brent oil futures dropping 0.16% to $73.67 a barrel, and the February gold futures contract falling 0.10% to $2,629.30 per troy ounce.
The USD/JPY and EUR/JPY currency pairs rose 0.01% and 0.04% respectively, while the US Dollar Index futures fell 0.02% to 107.78.
In a notable movement, shares in Hino Motors Limited rose to 52-week highs, gaining 2.61% to 566.00. The implied volatility of the Nikkei 225 options, which measures the market’s expectations of price movements, rose 0.73% to 20.80.
