TOKYO, Nov 20 ― Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei index closed lower today in cautious trade ahead of a long weekend, as worries continued over rising coronavirus cases.
The Nikkei 225 index lost 0.42 per cent or 106.97 points to end at 25,527.37, but gained 0.56 per cent from a week earlier.
The broader Topix index inched up 0.06 per cent or 0.98 points to 1,727.39. Over the week, it climbed 1.42 per cent.
The subdued trade in Tokyo comes a day after Japan's prime minister said the country is on “maximum alert” after logging a record number of daily coronavirus infections at around 2,400, though no immediate restrictions are planned.
Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike urged residents today to stay careful, especially when dining out, over the three-day weekend.
“The market lacked a sense of direction in the afternoon session,” Okasan Online Securities said in a note, adding transport-related shares were down due to the increasing number of virus cases in Japan.
Uniqlo casual wear operator Fast Retailing dropped 2.54 per cent to ¥81,130 (RM3,197) while Sony dipped 0.15 per cent to ¥9,235.
SoftBank Group jumped 2.61 per cent to ¥6,749. Automakers were higher with Toyota growing 0.69 per cent to ¥7,352 and Honda rising 0.52 per cent to ¥2,977.
Airlines were lower after reports said people were cancelling their trips due to the growing number of cases, with Japan Airlines falling 2.24 per cent to ¥1,916 and ANA Holdings sinking 1.24 per cent to ¥2,532.
The dollar fetched ¥103.77 in Asian trade, against ¥103.72 in New York late yesterday.
Japan's core consumer price index, which excludes fresh food, was down 0.7 per cent year-on-year in October, according to data released by the internal affairs ministry before the opening bell.
The figure was in line with market expectations. ― AFP
