TOKYO: Japan’s Nikkei share average tumbled more than 1% on Friday, its first losing session in six, with more than two-thirds of the decline coming from Uniqlo owner Fast Retailing.
Japanese equities also came under pressure from the yen’s rise to a seven-month high, as traders bet the Bank of Japan could tweak policy further at a meeting next week, less than a month after a surprise widening of the 10-year Japanese government bond yield’s allowable range.
The Nikkei ended the day down 1.25%, or 330.30 points, at 26,119.52.
Fast Retailing was the biggest drag, falling 7.95% and shaving 217.36 points off the Nikkei, after announcing disappointing financial results on Thursday after markets closed.
The broader Topix, by contrast, ended down by a more modest 0.27% at 1,903.08. The Nikkei managed to hold on for a weekly gain of 0.56%, having fallen for four straight weeks previously.
The Topix notched a 1.46% weekly rise, also its first winning week in five.
Exporters dropped as a stronger yen cut the value of overseas revenue.
Toyota lost 2.26%, while Nintendo fell 0.92%.
The yen touched its strongest level to the dollar since May 31 at 128.44.
Financial stocks benefited from the speculation, with the TSE’s banking subindex jumping 2.98%.
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“Nobody is sure what will happen at next week’s Bank of Japan meeting, and there may be some disappointment,” said Kenji Abe, a strategist at Daiwa.
“I don’t think they will reach a concrete decision, so yen appreciation can be reversed and the declines in the Nikkei can be reversed.”
Other than banks, chip-related shares rose, tracking gains in US peers. Chip-making equipment maker Tokyo Electron provided the most support for the Nikkei, contributing a market-leading 45.53 index points with its 3.04% rise.
Convenience store operator Seven & I Holdings was the biggest percentage gainer, soaring 6.1% after revising earnings forecasts higher.
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