The Nikkei Stock Average closed the morning session on the 9th down \311.24 from the previous session at \55,997.18. Trading volume on the Prime Market during the morning session was estimated at approximately 1.009 billion shares, with trading value estimated at \4.04 trillion. Advancing issues totaled 394, while declining issues numbered 1,140, with 43 issues unchanged.

The Tokyo market broadly weakened in the morning session, led lower by futures selling. While U.S. equities posted significant gains the previous day following a U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement, Japanese stocks had already surged the day prior, prompting a reactionary pullback. Major large-cap issues, including semiconductor-related stocks, came under profit-taking pressure, weighing on the broader indices. The Nikkei Average fell as much as \470 at its intraday low. Regarding the ceasefire, reports indicate the two countries disagree over whether Lebanon falls within its scope, leaving the outlook for the Middle East uncertain. Declining issues on the Prime Market accounted for over 70% of all traded issues.

On the individual stock front, SoftBank Group <9984>, Advantest <6857>, and DISCO <6146> were weak. Tokyo Electron <8035> also edged slightly lower. Toyota Motor <7203>, Hitachi <6501>, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries <7011> declined, while megabanks including Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group <8306> also fell. Saizeriya <7581> plunged. AEON Financial Service <8570> also came under selling pressure. On the other hand, Fast Retailing <9983> was firm. Kioxia Holdings also held steady. Furukawa Electric <5801> and Fujikura <5803> advanced. KYB <7242> posted substantial gains.

Source: MINKABU PRESS

*Translated by generative AI. Click here for the original article.