TOKYO, Nov 13, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Tokyo’s Nikkei index opened lower on Friday
after rising for eight straight days, tracking losses on Wall Street amid
concerns over spiking coronavirus cases.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 index was down 0.41 percent, or 103.74 points, to
25,417.41 in early trade, while the broader Topix index lost 0.60 percent, or
10.42 points, to 1,715.81.
“The selling sentiment is likely to be strong today because of concerns
about the spread of infection in the US and in Japan,” Mizuho Securities
wrote in a note.
Concerns about spiking Covid-19 cases sent US stocks to a negative finish
Thursday, overshadowing optimism from news early in the week about a
potential vaccine.
The benchmark Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 1.1 percent
The broader S&P 500 fell 1.0 percent, while the tech-dominated Nasdaq
dropped 0.7 percent.
In Tokyo trading, tyremaker Bridgestone dropped 3.06 percent to 3,642 yen
after a French minister said on Thursday that the company turned down a
French government plan to keep open a plant there.
Bridgestone said in September that it would shut its factory in France,
prompting the government to denounce as “brutal” the move that will cost 863
jobs.
SoftBank Group fell 0.86 percent to 6,621 yen. Toyota slid 0.61 percent to
7,389 yen while Honda lost 1.20 percent to 2,912.5 yen.
Nissan jumped 7.75 percent to 440.7 yen after it said it trimmed net losses
in the second quarter and upgraded its full-year forecasts as the global auto
industry showed signs of recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.
Sony gained 2.75 percent to 9,412 yen after its PlayStation 5 hit the
shelves two days after the new Xbox went on sale, with the next-generation
consoles vying for holiday season dominance.
The dollar traded at 105.02 yen in early Asian trade, against 105.10 yen in
New York.