Nikkei Falls Amid Oil Surge, Options Volatility Rises Sharply
Japanese stocks closed lower on Thursday (March 12), with the Nikkei 225 index down 1.05% in Tokyo. The decline was led by the paper and pulp, transportation, and communications sectors, reflecting a return to defensive sentiment amid rising energy prices.
Among the gainers, Shin-Etsu Chemical rose 4.08% to 6,401, hitting a 52-week high. Kawasaki Heavy Industries gained 3.82% to 16,715, while Mitsubishi Heavy Industries gained 3.57% to 4,781.
On the losing side, Denka fell 6.01% to 3,346, Japan Exchange Group fell 5.58% to 1,861.50, and SUMCO fell 4.87% to 1,623. Overall, market breadth was very negative: 3,128 stocks declined versus 536 rose, with 142 unchanged.
The Nikkei Volatility Index surged 31.92% to 42.94, indicating increased risk premiums in the options market after previous volatile sessions. This surge in volatility is in line with sharp movements across assets and market sensitivity to energy and geopolitical headlines.
In commodities, WTI for April jumped 5.42% to US$91.98 per barrel and Brent for May rose 5.86% to US$97.37, reinforcing energy cost pressures that could potentially weigh on equity sentiment. April gold futures edged down 0.13% to US$5,172.59 per troy ounce. In FX, USD/JPY was relatively flat at 158.94 and EUR/JPY fell 0.16% to 183.57, while the dollar index futures rose 0.16% to 99.39. (alg)
Source: Newsmaker.id
