Japan’s Stocks Decline on Yen Gains, Selloff in US Tech
Japanese stocks fell after the yen strengthened as much as 1% against the dollar overnight and US technology shares slumped.
The Nikkei 225 Stock Average dropped 2% as of 9:12 a.m. in Tokyo, while the broader Topix slipped 1.3%. Exporters such as automakers and technology companies were among the heaviest drags on the Topix.
The yen reached a one-week high of 151.79 per dollar, after jumping as much as 1% on Thursday. Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said Thursday that currency markets have had a major impact on the economy, pointing to another potential rate hike in coming months.
“Stocks will react negatively in the short term to the yen’s strength” but any possibility of a rate hike means we’re in an environment where the economy is warming up toward the 2% inflation target, said Masahiro Ichikawa, chief market strategist at Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Co.
The Nasdaq 100 dropped 2.4% on Thursday as disappointing outlooks from Microsoft Corp. and Meta Platforms Inc. fueled concern that a nearly 45% surge in the megacaps that have powered the bull market might have gone too far.
Source : Bloomberg
