Tokyo equities ended the trading day in negative territory on Friday as losses in the Paper & Pulp, Transport and Communication sectors pressured the market.
At the close in Tokyo the Nikkei 225 lost 0.00%.
Among individual movers on the Nikkei 225, Casio Computer Co., Ltd. (TYO:6952) led gains, advancing 16.27% or 211.00 points to finish at 1,508.00. Konami Corp. (TYO:9766) also posted a strong gain, rising 8.08% or 1,680.00 points to close at 22,470.00. Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (TYO:4519) increased 5.92% or 492.00 points, ending the day at 8,801.00.
On the downside, Nexon Co Ltd (TYO:3659) recorded the steepest decline among Nikkei components, sliding 10.63% or 438.00 points to 3,683.00 at the close. Tokuyama Corp. (TYO:4043) dropped 7.83% or 343.00 points to finish at 4,038.00, and Fuji Electric Co., Ltd. (TYO:6504) fell 6.47% or 760.00 points to 10,990.00.
Market breadth on the Tokyo Stock Exchange showed more advancing issues than decliners, with rising stocks outnumbering decliners by 2,273 to 1,318, and 233 issues finishing unchanged.
Notable record moves included Casio Computer shares climbing to three-year highs, rising 16.27% or 211.00 points to 1,508.00. Chugai Pharmaceutical shares moved to all-time highs, increasing 5.92% or 492.00 points to 8,801.00.
Volatility indicators eased during the session. The Nikkei Volatility index, which measures implied volatility for Nikkei 225 options, fell 3.29% to 33.20.
Commodities markets were generally softer. Crude oil for March delivery declined 2.00% or 1.31 to $64.11 a barrel. Brent crude for April delivery was down 1.97% or 1.37 to $68.22 a barrel. In metals, April Gold Futures fell 3.27% or 175.21 to trade at $5,179.59 a troy ounce.
Foreign exchange movements included USD/JPY rising 0.53% to 153.92 and EUR/JPY up 0.13% at 183.47. The US Dollar Index Futures was higher by 0.32% at 96.44.
Market takeaway - Tokyo ended the session with mixed internals: a small headline move for the Nikkei 225 masked sizable sector and stock-level variations, with several large-cap names posting double-digit percentage swings in either direction.