Stocks in Japan closed lower at the end of trading on Monday, with indices falling and losses recorded in the paper and pulp, transportation and communications sectors.
At the close of trading in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 was down 1.23%.
Among the top performers on the Nikkei 225 today were Hino Motors, Ltd. (TYO:7205), which rose 6.01% or 25.00 points to close at 441.00. Komatsu Ltd. (TYO:6301) also saw gains, rising 4.79% or 284.00 points to finish at 6,213.00, while Takashimaya Co., Ltd. (TYO:8233) climbed 3.73% or 72.00 points to close at 2,002.00.
As for the worst performers at the close of trading, Lasertec Corp (TYO:6920) shares closed down 13.96%, or 5,080.00 points, at 31,310.00. Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd. (TYO:5713) shares fell 11.42%, or 1,069.00 points, to 8,291.00, while Nomura Holdings Inc (TYO:8604) shares closed down 7.71%, or 109.00 points, at 1,304.00.
The number of declining stocks exceeded the number of stocks that closed higher in trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, with 2,174 compared to 1,430, while 218 remained unchanged.
Shares of Komatsu Ltd. (TYO:6301) climbed to an all-time high, rising 4.79% or 284.00 points to 6,213.00. Shares of Takashimaya Co., Ltd. (TYO:8233) also climbed to an all-time high, rising 3.73% or 72.00 points to 2,002.00.
The Nikkei Volatility Index, which measures the implied standard volatility of options on the Nikkei 225 index, traded 4.64% higher and closed at 34.74, marking its lowest level in a month.
WTI crude oil futures for March delivery fell 4.97%, or $3.24, to settle at $61.97 a barrel. In other commodities trading, Brent crude oil futures for April delivery dropped 4.82%, or $3.34, to $65.98 a barrel, while April gold futures declined 4.07%, or $193.04, to close at $4,552.06 an ounce.
The USD/JPY pair lost 0.04% and traded at 154.71, while the EUR/JPY pair continued its rise by about 0.03% and reached 183.46.
Dollar index futures traded 0.15% higher at 97.00.
