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STOCKS-MARKETS-JAPAN-OPEN
Tokyo stocks open lower
TOKYO, Sept 6, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Tokyo stocks opened lower on Thursday,
with investors retreating to the sidelines to look for fresh trading pegs
amid reports of damage after a big earthquake in northern Japan.
The benchmark Nikkei index fell 0.58 percent or 131.45 points to 22,449.38
in early trade, while the broader Topix index fell 0.52 percent or 8.90
points to 1,696.06.
Market players had mixed leads from New York where the blue-chip Dow
Average turned up while the tech-heavy Nasdaq fell.
Investors were watching the aftermath of a powerful 6.6 magnitude quake
that hit the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido early Thursday.
It triggered landslides, bringing down several houses. One person was dead
and several dozen missing.
“A wait-and-see mood may spread as investors try to confirm the damage and
impact (on the economy),” SBI Securities said in a note.
The tremor came just days after typhoon Jebi, the strongest storm to hit
Japan in 25 years, wreaked havoc in western regions.
It shut down a major airport and hampered factory operations.
In individual stocks trade, electronics companies fell.
Murata Manufacturing lost 2.08 percent to 18,590 yen and Sharp fell 2.99
percent to 2,426 yen.
The dollar slipped to 111.32 yen from 111.53 yen in New York Wednesday
afternoon.
BSS/AFP/HR/0925