Japanese Shares Fall as Election Focus Builds

2026-02-05 00:51 By Jam Kaimo Samonte 1 min. read

The Nikkei 225 Index fell 0.7% to below 54,000 on Thursday, while the broader Topix Index lost 0.1% to 3,650, extending losses from the previous session as investors turned their attention to lower house elections scheduled for this weekend.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called the snap vote as she seeks voter backing for increased spending and other policy priorities.

Investors are also looking ahead to Japan’s Q4 GDP report due next week, which is expected to rebound after a sharp contraction in the prior quarter.

Among individual stocks, gains were led by index heavyweights including Lasertec (0.8%), Toyota Motor (1.7%), Shin-Etsu Chemical (0.7%), JX Advanced Metals (2.3%) and Hitachi (1.1%).

In corporate news, Renesas Electronics jumped 7% after announcing plans to sell its Timing business to SiTime for $3 billion.



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2026-02-05
Japanese Shares Fall as Election Focus Builds
The Nikkei 225 Index fell 0.7% to below 54,000 on Thursday, while the broader Topix Index lost 0.1% to 3,650, extending losses from the previous session as investors turned their attention to lower house elections scheduled for this weekend. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called the snap vote as she seeks voter backing for increased spending and other policy priorities. Investors are also looking ahead to Japan’s Q4 GDP report due next week, which is expected to rebound after a sharp contraction in the prior quarter. Among individual stocks, gains were led by index heavyweights including Lasertec (0.8%), Toyota Motor (1.7%), Shin-Etsu Chemical (0.7%), JX Advanced Metals (2.3%) and Hitachi (1.1%). In corporate news, Renesas Electronics jumped 7% after announcing plans to sell its Timing business to SiTime for $3 billion.
2026-02-05