Japanese Shares Drop as Yen Strengthens

2026-01-26 00:38 By Jam Kaimo Samonte 1 min. read

The Nikkei 225 Index fell 1.79% to close at 52,885 while the broader Topix Index dropped 2.13% to 3,552 on Monday, extending last week’s losses as the yen rallied on fears of a joint intervention between Tokyo and Washington to prop up the currency.

The move in the currency followed reports that the New York Federal Reserve had checked dollar/yen levels with dealers on Friday, alongside comments from Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Sunday that her government would take necessary steps to counter speculative market moves.

A firmer yen undermines earnings prospects for Japan’s export heavy sectors and raises the cost of Japanese assets for overseas investors.

Export-oriented stocks led the decline, with Toyota Motor sliding 4.1%, Sony Group falling 1.9% and Fast Retailing down 1.7%.

Financial and technology shares also came under pressure, including Mitsubishi UFJ, which dropped 3.7%, and SoftBank Group, which fell 4.9%.



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