| Japanese equities declined on Friday, extending losses for a second straight session as higher oil prices and global market weakness pressured investor sentiment. The Nikkei 225 fell 1.16% to 53,820, while the broader TOPIX dropped 0.57% to 3,629, following overnight declines on Wall Street.
Oil prices surged amid disruptions linked to the Middle East conflict after Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, pledged to keep the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed while escalating attacks on regional oil and transport infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda warned that the weak yen could increase imported inflation as energy prices rise, potentially forcing the central bank to speed up policy normalization.
Technology and automobile stocks led the decline. Major losers included Advantest (-3.5%), SoftBank Group (-4.5%), Tokyo Electron (-3.6%), Toyota Motor (-2.8%), and Honda Motor (-5.6%).
For the week, the Nikkei dropped 3.24% while the Topix declined 2.36%, marking their second consecutive weekly loss. |