Japanese Shares Struggle as Yen Strengthens
2026-09-03 06:59
By
Jam Kaimo Samonte
1 min. read
The Nikkei 225 Index fell 0.17% to close at 64,214 while the broader Topix Index gained 0.5% to 4,102 in mixed trade on Thursday, with Japanese shares lacking clear direction as the yen strengthened sharply amid speculation that authorities had conducted a rate check.
A stronger yen weighs on the earnings outlook for Japan’s export-heavy industries and makes domestic assets more expensive for foreign investors.
Meanwhile, equities found some support from a pullback in oil prices after President Donald Trump said the latest attacks on Iran would be short-lived.
Global bond yields also retreated from recent highs as investors continued to assess the inflation and interest rate outlook.
Among individual stocks, notable losses were recorded in tech firms such as Advantest (-0.8%), Fujikura (-2.7%) and Ibiden Co (-2.4%), while financial stocks gained, including Mitsubishi UFJ (1.9%), Sumitomo Mitsui (1.7%) and Mizuho Financial (0.7%).