TOKYO: Tokyo stocks fell on Wednesday with investors discouraged by slight declines in US shares and eyeing news on US-China trade talks and Brexit negotiations.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 index slipped 0.60%, or 129.47 points, to close at 21,596.81, while the broader Topix index was down 0.25%, or 3.98 points, at 1,615.25.
Tokyo shares opened lower, taking a negative lead from Wall Street, and “the sentiment dragged on during the day,“ said Daiwa Securities senior technical analyst Hikaru Sato.
“Investors refrained from trading actively as they continued watching US-China trade talks and new developments on Brexit,“ Sato told AFP.
Britain’s Brexit negotiators returned to Brussels on Tuesday vowing to “get a deal over the line” as they seek European Union support to break the deadlock in London as this month’s divorce deadline looms.
The dollar fetched 111.81 yen in Asian afternoon trade, against 111.88 yen in New York.
In Tokyo, some blue-chip exporters were lower, with Panasonic off 0.83% at 1,012 yen and Nissan down 0.20% at 938.2 yen.
China-linked shares remained under pressure as Komatsu dropped 1.49% at 2,728.5 yen with Rohm down 0.14% at 7,130 yen.
Market heavyweight and Uniqlo casual wear operator Fast Retailing was down 2.51% at 53,110 yen. — AFP
