Japan's Nikkei average lost 0.6 percent on Thursday as exporters fell on worries about the US economy after dismal jobs data, but Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma rose on news it would bid for a US drug firm. Dainippon Sumitomo opened up nearly 8 percent after a source with knowledge of the situation said it planned to offer about $2.7 billion to acquire US drugmaker Sepracor.
The Japanese drugmaker later confirmed the deal, saying it had agreed to buy Nasdaq-listed Sepracor for $2.6 billion. Dainippon Sumitomo's shares ended the day 1.2 percent higher at 1,025 yen. The benchmark Nikkei lost 65.82 points to 10,214.64, its lowest close in about two weeks, while the broader Topix fell 0.7 percent to 942.77.
Trade fell off, with 1.75 billion shares changing hands on the Tokyo exchange's first section compared with last week's daily average of 1.92 billion shares. Declining shares outnumbered advancing ones by more than 3 to 1. The dollar briefly dropped below 92.00 yen for the first time since mid-July, pressuring exporters. It later recovered slightly and was 0.1 percent higher on the day at 92.30 yen.
A US labour market report showing more private-sector job losses in August than forecast made investors nervous ahead of Friday's highly anticipated monthly jobs data from the US Labor Department, sending Wall Street shares lower. In addition to the yen's gains against the dollar, market players may be bracing for the possibility that a recovery in leading economic indicators such as the US Institute for Supply Management's manufacturing index could start to lose steam, said Hideyuki Ishiguro, a supervisor at Okasan Securities' investment strategy department.
The Nikkei could fall towards 10,000 if the dollar were to fall below its July trough of 91.73 yen, Ishiguro said, but he added that the Nikkei may head higher once companies start announcing their earnings in October. "Earnings will probably show significant improvement and people will have little choice but to focus on that," he said, adding that the Nikkei may rise above 11,000 and possibly 12,000. Exporters slid on the yen's strength. Investors fret about a stronger yen as it eats into exporters' profits when repatriated.
"The pace of the yen's rise appears to be picking up," said Masayoshi Okamoto, head of dealing at Jujiya Securities. Honda Motor Co lost 2.4 percent to 2,840 yen, Toyota Motor Corp slipped 1.8 percent to 3,850 yen and Canon Inc edged down 1.4 percent to 3,450 yen. Ishiguro at Okasan Securities said automakers were one sector that seemed particularly likely to show an improvement in earnings, although there were some concerns about the impact from an end to the US "cash for clunkers" programme.
Fast Retailing, operator of the Uniqlo casual-clothing chain, rose 2.9 percent to 10,800 yen after it said on Wednesday same-store sales at its Uniqlo stores in Japan rose 5.6 percent year-on-year in August. Fast Retailing's rise also came after Nomura Securities lifted its rating on the company to "buy" from "neutral" on Wednesday, saying the stock now looks undervalued due to the company's medium-term growth potential backed by its high investment efficiency.