The Nikkei 225 Index Closes 0.28% Lower

The Nikkei 225 Index went up by 1280 points or 1.95 percent on Monday to close at 66887 points. The rise was led by Recruit Holdings (22.79%), Sumitomo Metal Mining (12.73%) and Olympus (9.63%).

The Nikkei 225 Index climbed 1.4% to above 66,500 while the broader Topix Index advanced 0.5% to 4,095 on Monday, with Japanese equities reaching multi-week highs and following Wall Street higher after weaker-than-expected US jobs data reduced expectations for a near-term Federal Reserve interest rate hike. Investors also remained focused on developments in the Middle East as Iran denied holding direct negotiations with the US, despite Washington’s claims that a deal was close. Domestically, data showed Japan’s current account surplus narrowed in June, as strong exports of AI-related electronics were offset by a rise in imports amid increased crude oil purchases. Technology and AI-linked stocks spearheaded the gains, with Fujikura (5.1%), Furukawa Electric (6.5%), Advantest (3.4%), Ibiden Co (9.3%) and Tokyo Electron (3.2%) posting notable advances.

The Nikkei 225 Index dropped 183 points or 0.28 percent on Friday to close at 65500 points. Losses were led by M3 (-17.95%), Fujifilm (-17.02%) and Lasertec Corp (-11.68%). Offsetting the fall, top gainers were Fujikura (13.66%), Bandai Namco Holdings (10.01%) and Resonac Holdings (8.22%).