Japan’s stock market closed slightly lower on Friday, with declines in the Paper & Pulp, Transport, and Communication sectors weighing on overall performance.
At the end of the session in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 slipped 0.07%.
Top Performers on the Nikkei 225
The strongest gain of the day came from Pacific Metals Co., Ltd. (TYO:5541), which surged 6.80% or 161 points to finish at 2,530.00, reaching a three-year high.
Okuma Corp. (TYO:6103) followed with a 6.66% rise, adding 235 points to end at 3,765.00.
Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd. (TYO:5801) also advanced, climbing 4.73% or 448 points to 9,928.00 in late trading.
Worst Performers of the Session
The biggest decline came from Mitsui Mining and Smelting Co. (TYO:5706), which dropped 2.14% or 390 points to 17,830.00.
Toho Co., Ltd. (TYO:9602) slipped 2.03% or 186 points, closing at 8,995.00.
Fujitsu Ltd. (TYO:6702) fell 1.92% or 81 points to 4,147.00.
Market breadth remained positive, with 2,542 stocks advancing, 1,059 declining, and 235 unchanged on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
The Nikkei Volatility Index, which tracks implied volatility in Nikkei 225 options, fell 10.52% to 29.76.
Commodity and Currency Highlights
Crude oil for January delivery edged down 0.08% to $59.05 per barrel.
Brent oil for February gained 0.41%, rising to $63.13 per barrel.
February Gold Futures advanced 0.76% or 31.70, reaching $4,221.30 per ounce.
In currency markets, USD/JPY inched up 0.04% to 156.39, while EUR/JPY dipped 0.08% to 181.14.
The U.S. Dollar Index Futures rose 0.08%, finishing at 99.60.
