Japanese Shares Fall Amid Soft Trade Data
The Nikkei 225 Index slipped 0.25% to 44,790 while the broader Topix Index fell 0.71% to 3,146 on Wednesday, retreating from record highs after weak trade data raised concerns over Japan’s export-dependent economy. Exports edged down 0.1% in August, a smaller decline than expected but the fourth straight monthly drop, led by a 13.8% plunge in shipments to the US.
Imports contracted 5.2%, moderating from July’s 7.4% fall but still above the 4.1% drop forecast by analysts. Japanese stocks also tracked overnight losses on Wall Street as investors grew cautious ahead of the Federal Reserve’s policy decision, with a 25 basis point cut widely expected.
Among notable movers, SoftBank Group slipped 1.3%, Advantest fell 1.3%, Fujikura dropped 3.7%, Nintendo lost 1.7% and Hitachi shed 2.3%.
Source: Tradingeconomics.com
