The Japanese Nikkei index decreased today, Friday, for the fourth consecutive session, following the losses in U.S. stocks the previous night, after data indicated strength in the labor market, fueling speculation that the Federal Reserve (the U.S. central bank) will be more inclined to raise interest rates to combat inflation. The Nikkei finished the session down 1.17% at 32,388.42 points, with the pace of the decline accelerating in the last half hour of trading.
All sectors on the Nikkei declined, with the real estate sector dropping nearly 2%. The energy sector saw the least losses, decreasing by 0.77%. Among the 225 stocks on the index, 180 declined, while 42 rose, and three closed with little change. The broader Topix index fell 0.97% to 2,254.90 points.
In the morning, the Nikkei index fell at the beginning of trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange today, with a decrease of 0.98% to 32,450.64 points, while the broader Topix index declined by 0.79% to 2,259.03 points.
