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Tokyo’s Nikkei index closes higher as tariff deadline nears
TOKYO, Dec 12, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Tokyo’s key Nikkei index closed higher on
Thursday in cautious trade ahead of a deadline for the US to impose new
tariffs on Chinese goods.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 index ended up 0.14 percent or 32.95 points at
23,424.81, while the broader Topix index slipped 0.12 percent or 2.12 points
to close at 1,712.83.
Investors were encouraged by the Fed’s decision to keep interest rates
low, but “trade is getting increasingly cautious” ahead of December 15, when
Washington is due to impose fresh tariffs on Chinese goods, and ahead of the
UK general election later Thursday, Mizuho Securities said in a commentary.
The dollar fetched 108.59 yen in Asian trade, against 108.56 yen in New
York and 108.73 yen in Tokyo on Wednesday.
In Tokyo, chip-linked shares were higher, with semiconductor-testing
equipment maker Advantest climbing 2.78 percent to 5,530 yen and chip-making
equipment manufacturer Tokyo Electron rallying 4.86 percent to 23,515 yen.
Other exporters were mixed, with Sony ending up 1.13 percent at 7,301 yen
while Panasonic closed down 2.26 percent at 1,036.5 yen.
BSS/AFP/HR/1250