TOKYO: Japan’s Nikkei share average fell on Friday as a stronger yen dampened appetite. However, investors scooped up stocks with a strong outlook, capping declines.
The Nikkei had dropped 0.4% to 38,899.19 as of 0205 GMT and was set to lose 1.7% for the week.
The broader Topix slipped 0.37% to 2,742.11.
“With the yen on the rise, the market was worried that the Japanese firms’ earnings next (fiscal) year would not be as strong as this year,” said Shigetoshi Kamada, general manager at the research department at Tachibana Securities.
The yen climbed to a nine-week high as market players piled on bets for more interest rate hikes by the Bank of Japan this year.
A stronger Japanese currency tends to hurt exporters’ shares as it decreases the value of overseas profits in yen terms when firms repatriate them to Japan.
Investors also sold stocks as the market has run out of positive cues after Japan’s quarterly earnings season peaked.
“We have seen a series of robust outcomes for the third quarter. With only one more quarter remaining, investors expect little positive surprises for the full year,” Kamada said.
Tokyo Electron slipped 3.9% to drag the Nikkei the most, even as the chip-making equipment maker said that operating income in the third quarter rose 50.7% from a year earlier.
Japan’s Nikkei rises on Wall Street gains, despite firm yen
Nikon fell 4.99% after the camera maker lowered its annual operating profit outlook.
Among the rising stocks, Mercari surged 21%, the highest daily limit, after the flea market app operator reported operating profit for the December quarter ahead of market consensus.
Kao rose 4.3% after the cosmetics maker raised its annual net profit forecast to 116 billion yen ($765.9 million), up 7.6% from the previous year.
American Dollar Exchange Rate