Australia fell 2.76% on weak metal prices and worries that strength is currency may affect commodity exports. New Zealand lost 1.8% after its strong currency came under heavy pressure faced by unwinding of yen carry trades.
Emerging markets in Asian reflected similar losses in South America and Europe. Brazil lost nearly 4% and Mexico dropped 3.6% on a day when stock markets around the world got clobbered. Turkey dropped 4.2% leading the global markets rout on Thursday and dropped another 1.35% at the end of the mid-day session today.
7:00AM New York, 8:00PM Tokyo – Tokyo declines mirroring losses in Europe and the U.S.
Nikkei 225 Index in Tokyo dropped 2.36% or 418.28 to 17,283.81 and Topix fell 37.47 or 2.33% to close at 1,699.71. For the week Nikkei lost 4.8% and curtailed its gain for the year to 0.3% and Topix dropped 4.3% and limiting its rise for the year to 1.1%.
The unwinding of carry trade in the region and a decline in the U.S. and European markets dominated the trading sentiment in Tokyo. The stocks fell at the opening and continued to trade lower in the session.
Decliners
Fujitsu plunged 6% to 789 yen after reporting a net loss of 14.8 billion yen. The company reported its first loss after nine quarterly profits in a row.
Canon plunged 5.5% to 6,510 yen, Nintendo lost 6.2% to 58,000 yen, and automakers fell as well in the sell-off. Toyota Motor dropped 1.8% and Honda Motor lost 2.5%. Daihatsu, Nissan and other makers fell as well.
Trading companies, oil refiners, and mining companies fell for the second day in a row after surging year to date. The largest oil refiner Nippon Oil lost 6.4% to 1,047 yen and largest oil explorer Inpex declined 3.2% to 1.2 million yen.
Retailers fell after reporting a surprise sales decline in June. Seven & I Holdings dropped 1.2% to 3,390 yen, supermarket operator Aeon Co. lost 4.6% to 1,917 yen, and Seiyu Limited declined 1.5% to 129 yen.
Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry reported that retail sales in June fell 0.4% from a year ago. Sales at large retailers were up 0.9% and wholesales sales were up 5.3%
Metals and oil trading companies dropped for the second day in a row. Sumitomo Mining, Marubeni, Mitsui Mining declined more than 2%. Nippon Steel was dragged in the sell off as well. Shipping companies repeated the losses of more than 2.2% for the second day in a row.
Gainers
Toyota group of companies saw their stocks rise on a day of sell-off. Hino Motors gained 1.3% to 791 yen after reporting a sharp rise in earnings on overseas sales. Toyota Tsusho, trading company in the group rose 4% to 3,130 yen after reporting earnings gain. |