The Nikkei 225 Index Closes 0.03% Lower

The Nikkei 225 Index decreased 19 points or 0.03 percent on Thursday to close at 63904 points. The decline was led by Mitsui Kinzoku (-6.50%), Resonac Holdings (-4.42%) and Taiyo Yuden (-4.22%). On the upside, the strongest performers were Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding (5.81%), Japan Steel Works (5.18%) and Sumitomo Dainippon (4.61%).

The Nikkei 225 Index climbed 0.33% to close at 64,136, while the broader Topix Index advanced 0.8% to 4,094 on Thursday, extending gains from the previous session after the US Federal Reserve delivered a widely expected interest rate hike, though the central bank signaled further tightening to curb inflation. The yen weakened against the dollar following the Fed’s decision, improving the earnings outlook for Japan’s export-focused industries. Japanese equities also benefited from declining oil prices amid expectations that crude flows through Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline could resume soon, easing pressure on the country’s oil-dependent economy. Gains were broad-based, with notable performances from index heavyweights such as SoftBank Group (1%), Fujikura (0.6%), Lasertec (0.6%), Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (4%) and Nintendo (4.3%).

The Nikkei 225 Index climbed 0.69% to close at 63,923, while the broader Topix Index advanced 0.61% to 4,062 on Wednesday, reversing losses from earlier in the session as easing oil prices helped reduce pressure on equities. Oil prices declined after US crude inventories unexpectedly increased, although concerns over supply disruptions in the Middle East remained. Global bond yields also steadied after their recent climb as investors turned their attention to major central bank policy decisions this week. In Japan, data showed exports grew more than expected in August, driven by strong demand for AI-related chips despite ongoing supply disruptions linked to the Middle East conflict. Technology and AI-related stocks posted notable gains, including Taiyo Yuden (1.8%), Advantest (1.8%), Murata Manufacturing (3.2%), Fujikura (2%), and Tokyo Electron (2.1%).