Japanese Shares End Flat as US Tariffs Loom
Japanese stocks closed flat with a negative bias on Friday, shrugging off renewed uncertainty over US tariff policy as a 90-day pause on higher levies nears its end.
The Nikkei 225 slipped 7.27 points to end at 39,778.63.
The US will begin sending letters on Friday to countries detailing 20%-30% tariff rates on goods, marking a shift from earlier plans to strike individual trade deals, President Donald Trump said.
The letters, sent to 10 countries at a time, come ahead of the July 9 expiry of a 90-day tariff pause. Major partners like Japan and the EU have yet to reach agreements.
In economic data, average household spending in Japan rose 4.7% in real terms in May from a year earlier, beating forecasts and rebounding from April's 0.1% drop.
Spending rose 8.9% in nominal terms to 316,085 yen, led by gains in transport, communication, furniture, and clothing. Utility and education expenses declined.
Average household income rose 4.4% in nominal terms and 0.4% in real terms to 522,318 yen.
Among corporate movers, Asahi Co. reported an 8.5% drop in June net sales as customer traffic fell 8.8%, offsetting a slight 0.2% rise in spending per customer.
Existing store sales declined 9.9%. Cumulative sales for the fiscal year through June were down 0.9% overall.
Orix Corp. will acquire a 71.4% stake in US-based Hilco Global for $776 million through its subsidiary Orix USA. The deal, expected to close by September, will strengthen Orix's asset-based lending and expand its alternative asset management business.
Source: MTN newswires
