The Japan stock market has finished lower in five straight sessions, tumbling almost 1,600 points or 3.1 percent in that span. The Nikkei 225 now sits just above the 52,770-point plateau although it’s due for support on Thursday.
The global forecast for the Asian markets is cautiously optimistic and fairly fluid in light of U.S. demands to acquire Greenland. The European markets were mixed and the U.S. bourses were up and the Asian markets figure to follow that lead.
The Nikkei finished modestly lower on Wednesday following losses from the financial shares, technology stocks and automobile producers.
For the day, the index slipped 216.46 points or 0.41 percent to finish at 52,774.64 after trading between 52,194.81 and 52,848.78.
Among the actives, Nissan Motor sank 0.83 percent, while Mazda Motor retreated 1.29 percent, Toyota Motor rose 0.31 percent, Honda Motor dropped 0.89 percent, Softbank Group collected 0.62 percent, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial stumbled 3.49 percent, Mizuho Financial tanked 3.94 percent, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial plunged 3.56 percent, Mitsubishi Electric fell 0.36 percent, Sony Group slumped 0.94 percent, Panasonic Holdings skidded 0.98 percent and Hitachi lost 0.31 percent.
The lead from Wall Street is positive as the major averages opened higher on Wednesday and stayed in the green throughout the session, although not without volatility.
The Dow jumped 588.64 points or 1.21 percent to finish at 49,077.23, while the NASDAQ rallied 270.50 points or 1.18 percent to end at 23,224.82 and the S&P 500 climbed 87.76 points or 1.16 percent to close at 6,875.62.
The volatility on Wall Street came as traders reacted to President Donald Trump’s latest remarks about his efforts to take control of Greenland.
Early buying interest was generated in reaction to Trump’s speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he ruled out the use of military force to take control of Greenland.
However, buying interest waned over the course of the morning amid lingering concerns about trade between the U.S. and Europe due to the dispute. But buying interest returned when Trump said he would not go forward with the tariffs he threatened to impose on several European nations
Crude oil posted incremental gains on Wednesday as traders assessed Trump’s speech at the World Economic Forum, where he sought negotiations on the U.S. bid to acquire Greenland. West Texas Intermediate crude for March delivery was up $0.10 or 0.17 percent at $60.46 per barrel.
Closer to home, Japan will see December data for imports, exports and trade balance later this morning. Imports are expected to rise 3.6 percent on year, up from 1.3 percent in November. Exports are called higher by an annual 6.1 percent, steady from the previous month. The trade surplus is pegged at 357.0 billion yen, up from 3167 billion yen a month earlier.
Market Analysis
Japan Shares Poised To End Losing Streak
2026-01-21 23:18:13
