The Nikkei 225 Index Closes 0.56% Lower

The Nikkei 225 Index fell 0.73% to close at 55,895, while the broader Topix Index dropped 0.9% to 3,741 on Thursday, giving back some of the previous session’s gains as oil prices edged higher amid ongoing uncertainty over the ceasefire agreement between Iran and the US-Israeli side. A senior Iranian official said elements of the ceasefire proposal had already been breached following fresh Israeli strikes on Lebanon, while Tehran continued to largely block the Strait of Hormuz. In corporate developments, shares of Uniqlo parent Fast Retailing slipped 0.46% despite lifting its full-year operating profit forecast on strong demand from the US and Europe, with Japan remaining a stable base. Meanwhile, Seven & I Holdings plunged 4.6% after announcing a delay in the planned listing of its US convenience store unit amid uncertainties surrounding its US businesses.

The Nikkei 225 Index decreased -316 points or 0.56 percent on Thursday to close at 55992 points. The decline was led by AEON (-7.73%), Hino Motors (-5.09%) and Mitsui Chemicals (-4.97%). On the upside, the strongest performers were Furukawa Electric (4.38%), JGC (3.71%) and Hitachi Zosen (3.65%).

The Nikkei 225 Index fell 0.5% to around 56,050 on Thursday, trimming gains from the prior session as oil prices gained some ground amid lingering uncertainty over the ceasefire agreement between Iran and the US-Israeli side. A senior Iranian official stated that elements of the ceasefire proposal had already been violated following fresh Israeli strikes on Lebanon, while Tehran continued to largely block the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, minutes from the Federal Reserve’s latest policy meeting showed a growing number of members viewed a rate hike as potentially necessary to curb inflation, though many still hoped the next move could be a cut. Tech stocks led the losses after a sharp rebound in the previous session, including Kioxia Holdings (-2.1%), Lasertec (-3.3%), Advantest (-2%), Disco Corp (-3.1%), and SoftBank Group (-2.6%).