TOKYO – Tokyo stocks closed lower today after falls of Wall Street tech shares, as traders awaited key US inflation data due the following day.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 index lost 0.88%, or 249.28 points, to end at 27,999.96, while the broader Topix index fell 0.74%, or 14.39 points, to 1,937.02.
“Investors have a wait-and-see attitude ahead of the US consumer prices index announcement. Softer share prices across Asia, except for the Shanghai index, also dampened market sentiment,” Okasan Online Securities said.
The dollar stood at 135.07 yen, compared to 134.98 yen yesterday in New York.
A weak earnings report by US computing giant Nvidia prompted global investors to dump tech-related shares.
The Nikkei was also driven lower after market heavyweights SoftBank Group and Tokyo Electron reported disappointing earnings for the April-June quarter.
SoftBank Group, which reported a record quarterly net loss of US$23.4 billion (RM104.29 billion), tanked 7.02% to 5,295 yen.
Tokyo Electron, which makes tools to build semiconductors, tumbled 8.24% to 45,600 yen, while Advantest, which makes microchip testing kits, dropped 3.10% to 8,420 yen.
Sony Group lost 2.47% to 11,435 yen and Uniqlo operator Fast Retailing climbed 1.49% to 85,110 yen. – AFP, August 9, 2022
