TOKYO: Tokyo stocks closed lower on Monday as investors remained cautious over uncertainty surrounding the Omicron coronavirus variant. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index slipped 0.36 percent, or 102.20 points, to 27,927.37, while the broader Topix index fell 0.53 percent, or 10.32 points, to 1,947.54.

Top US pandemic advisor Anthony Fauci said Sunday that early indications of the severity of the Omicron Covid-19 variant were “a bit encouraging,” while cautioning more information was still needed. But traders remained cautious as more countries detect the variant.

“Shares of growing companies were sold on worries over the Omicron variant,” Okasan Online Securities said in a note. In Tokyo, SoftBank Group plunged 8.20 percent to 5,103 yen while drug maker Daiichi Sankyo dropped 6.16 percent to 2,671 yen.

Toshiba fell 1.11 percent to 4,690 yen after a report said several of its biggest shareholders have accused the firm of failing to properly pursue talks with private equity on a buyout.