The Japanese stock market is trading notably lower on Wednesday, extending the losses in the previous four sessions, following the broadly negative cues from Wall Street overnight. The Nikkei 225 is falling well below the 52,650 level, with weakness in exporters, automakers and financial stocks.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 Index is down 375.19 or 0.71 percent at 52,615.91, after hitting a low of 51,194.81 earlier. Japanese stocks ended significantly lower on Tuesday.
Market heavyweight SoftBank Group is gaining almost 1 percent, while Uniqlo operator Fast Retailing is losing almost 2 percent. Among automakers, Honda is down more than 1 percent and Toyota is edging down 0.5 percent.
In the tech space, Advantest and Tokyo Electron are gaining almost 1 percent each, while Screen Holdings is flat.
In the banking sector, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial, Mizuho Financial and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial are all losing more than 2 percent each.
Among the major exporters, Mitsubishi Electric and Sony are edging down 0.1 to 0.4 percent each, while Canon is losing more than 1 percent. Panasonic is edging up 0.1 percent.
Among other major losers, BayCurrent is losing more than 4 percent and Ajinomoto is slipping almost 4 percent, while Nomura Holdings, M3, Dai-ichi Life, Ricoh, Toto, T&D Holdings, Aozora Bank and Shizuoka Financial are down more than 3 percent each. Sumco, Shionogi & Co., Japan Post, Omron and Recruit Holdings are declining almost 3 percent each.
Conversely, Fujikura is gaining almost 3 percent.
In the currency market, the U.S. dollar is trading in the lower 158 yen-range on Wednesday.
On the Wall Street, stocks showed a more substantial move to the downside during trading on Tuesday after ending last Friday’s choppy trading session modestly lower. The major averages all moved sharply lower, adding to the losses posted last week.
The major averages saw further downside late in the session, closing near their worst levels of the day. The Dow slumped 870.74 points or 1.8 percent to 48,488.59, the Nasdaq plunged 561.07 points or 2.4 percent to 22,954.32 and the S&P 500 tumbled 143.15 points or 2.1 percent to 6,796.86.
The major European markets have also moved to the downside on the day. While the German DAX Index slumped 1.0 percent, the U.K.’s FTSE 100 Index slid by 0.7 percent and the French CAC 40 Index fell by 0.6 percent.
Crude oil prices surged on Tuesday as traders assessed the renewed tariff threats by U.S. President Donald Trump against European nations. West Texas Intermediate crude for February delivery was up $0.96 or 1.62 percent at $60.40 per barrel.
Market Analysis
Japanese Market Notably Lower
2026-01-21 01:24:48
