24.12.202507:27:50UTC+00Nikkei 225 Ends Lower After Early Rise

The Nikkei 225 index experienced a dip of 212 points, or 0.4%, settling at 50,255 on Wednesday. This decline negated the early gains as market sentiment soured due to the strengthening yen, which adversely affected the overseas earnings of companies reliant on exports. The automotive sector saw notable declines: Toyota decreased by 1.8%, Subaru fell by 1.2%, and Honda Motor experienced a slight drop. Financial stocks also retreated, reversing some of the significant gains from the previous week following the Bank of Japan's decision to elevate rates to a 30-year high. According to the minutes from the central bank's October meeting, policymakers largely concurred that real interest rates remain low, which supports the expectation for gradual tightening and a decrease in monetary support. Conversely, the technology sector displayed mixed results but was largely positive. Advantest rose by 2.5% in alignment with gains seen by its counterparts on Wall Street overnight. Tokyo Electron inched up by 0.7%, while Screen Holdings surged by 10% to lead the index, following an upward revision of its price target by Morgan Stanley MUFG Securities. The Japanese markets will continue to operate on Thursday and Friday.