Japan Stock Market
The Nikkei 225 Index fell 0.77% to close at 39,091 while the broader Topix Index lost 0.55% to 2,727 on Friday, paring gains from earlier in the week and tracking losses on Wall Street overnight as the huge rally in US stocks lost momentum. Investors also geared up for a crucial US monthly jobs report. In Japan, data showed that inflation-adjusted real wages remained unchanged in October compared to the previous year, an improvement over the 0.4% decline in September and 0.8% in August.
This supports expectations for a potential interest rate hike by the Bank of Japan this month, although there is still uncertainty over whether the move will happen in December or January. Technology stocks led the decline, with significant losses in Disco (-4.4%), Lasertec (-2.4%), Tokyo Electron (-2.6%), Advantest (-3.3%), and Hitachi (-1.4%). Despite Friday's pullback, both the Nikkei and Topix indexes finished the week with gains of 2.31% and 1.73%, respectively.(Cay)
Source: Trading Economi
