TOKYO, Feb 21 — Tokyo stocks opened lower today as worries lingered over Ukraine tensions and US rate-hike plans.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 index was down 1.39 per cent or 378.09 points at 26,743.98, while the broader Topix index slipped 1.24 per cent or 23.93 points to 1,900.38.
“In addition to intensifying tensions over Ukraine, investors are worried about uncertainties around US monetary policy,” Okasan Online Securities said.
The dollar fetched ¥114.93 (RM4.18) in early Asian trade, against ¥115.03 in New York late Friday.
In Tokyo, Sharp nosedived 11.35 per cent to ¥1,165 after the company said it was starting talks to reacquire its LCD screen venture Sakai Display Products, a move seen by investors as amplifying risks.
SoftBank Group was down 1.58 per cent at ¥5,102 after Intel’s CEO Pat Gelsinger reportedly said the US tech giant would be interested in participating if a consortium were to take over the British microchip powerhouse Arm.
Investment behemoth SoftBank Group said earlier this month that its sale of Arm to Nvidia had collapsed over competition concerns.
A separate report over the weekend said SoftBank Group had urged a US judge to block Credit Suisse Group AG from conducting a “fishing expedition” in a simmering dispute over the collapse of Greensill Capital.
Shipping firm Mitsui OSK Lines dropped 3.72 per cent to ¥9,050 after one of the ships it operated — carrying thousands of vehicles, including German luxury cars — caught fire on Wednesday in the Atlantic, with all crew members evacuated safely.
Among others, Sony Group was down 2.69 per cent at ¥11,750, Honda was off 1.52 per cent at ¥3,631 and Toyota was down 1.74 per cent at ¥2,146. — AFP
