Tokyo Stocks Open Lower Amid US-China Tensions
Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published July 27, 2020 | 05:50 PM
Tokyo stocks opened lower on Monday, playing catch-up after a four-day weekend, with global risk aversion on intensifying China-US tensions
Tokyo, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Jul, 2020 ):Tokyo stocks opened lower on Monday, playing catch-up after a four-day weekend, with global risk aversion on intensifying China-US tensions.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 index fell 1.12 percent or 255.66 points to 22,495.95 in early trade while the broader Topix index lost 1.04 percent or 16.29 points to 1,556.67.
"Selling is likely to lead trade, with investors discouraged by slack US stocks and the yen's rise... during Tokyo's holidays," said Yoshihiro Ito, chief strategist at Okasan Online Securities.
"There are concerns that the US-China conflict could intensify further via a chain of retaliatory measures," he said in a note, adding resurging coronavirus cases in some US states also weighed on sentiment.
The dollar was trading at 105.95 yen, unchanged from New York Friday afternoon but well lower than the upper half of the 106-yen range before Tokyo shut for the long weekend.
A stronger yen is a negative for Japanese exporters and often dampens buying on the Tokyo market.
While Tokyo was shut, relations between the world's two superpowers took another negative turn.
China ordered the closure of the American consulate in Chengdu in retaliation for the United States shuttering Beijing's diplomatic mission in Houston.
Besides the tensions and concerns over a US economic recovery, "the market is also concerned over the inability of US politicians to find an agreement on the next round of stimulus ahead of the expiry of US unemployment benefits this Friday," National Australia Bank said in a note.
In Tokyo individual stocks trade, ANA Holdings tumbled 2.15 percent to 2,313.5 yen after the Nikkei business daily reported the airline group was on course to report a record operating loss for the last quarter.
Sony fell 1.63 percent to 8,125 yen and Toyota slipped 0.34 percent to 6,706 yen.
High-technology stocks also fell with microchip-testing equipment maker Tokyo Electron dropping 2.79 percent to 28,830 yen after Intel plunged on Wall Street Friday on the announcement that its next-generation chips would be delayed by manufacturing problems.
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