Tokyo's stock market finished the trading day in the red on Monday, with the Nikkei 225 sliding 0.49% at the close as losses in the Paper & Pulp, Transport and Communication sectors pressured the index.
At the end of trading in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 registered a decline of 0.49%.
Several individual stocks posted notable moves. The largest gainers on the Nikkei included Konami Corp. (TYO:9766), which climbed 10.25% - up 1,960.00 points to finish at 21,090.00. Ajinomoto Co., Inc. (TYO:2802) also advanced strongly, rising 9.32% or 469.00 points to close at 5,499.00. Sony Corp (TYO:6758) added 8.29%, increasing by 258.00 points to 3,372.00 in late trade.
On the downside, Nintendo Co Ltd (TYO:7974) led the laggards, falling 8.44% or 647.00 points to end the session at 7,020.00. NH Foods Ltd (TYO:2282) dropped 7.46% - down 490.00 points to 6,078.00 - while SoftBank Group Corp. (TYO:9984) declined 6.33% or 388.00 points to close at 5,743.00.
Market breadth on the Tokyo Stock Exchange was tilted toward advancers, with rising issues outnumbering decliners by 1,889 to 1,659 and 242 securities finishing unchanged during the session.
There were notable moves in share benchmarks for the session: Nintendo Co Ltd (TYO:7974) fell to a 52-week low, slipping 8.44% or 647.00 points to 7,020.00. Conversely, Ajinomoto Co., Inc. (TYO:2802) rose to a 52-week high, gaining 9.32% or 469.00 points to reach 5,499.00.
Volatility measures and commodities showed tangible movement alongside equities. The Nikkei Volatility index, which captures implied volatility in Nikkei 225 options, declined 9.25% to 34.16.
Energy and precious metals prices shifted in overseas commodity trading: crude oil for June delivery rose 3.78% or 3.61 to $99.03 a barrel. Brent oil for July delivery increased 3.21% or 3.25 to $104.54 a barrel. The June Gold Futures contract fell 0.90% or 42.55 to trade at 4,688.15 a troy ounce.
Currency markets saw the dollar strengthen modestly against the yen and the euro. USD/JPY moved up 0.21% to 157.00, while EUR/JPY inched higher by 0.05% to 184.76. The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.10% at 97.89.
Bottom line - The Nikkei 225 closed lower by 0.49% as sector losses in Paper & Pulp, Transport and Communication offset strong gains by several consumer and entertainment-related stocks. Broader market participation was positive, volatility eased and commodity and currency moves were notable during the session.