Nov 29 2024: Japanese stocks ended lower on Friday, with the Nikkei 225 declining by 0.52% due to losses in sectors such as shipbuilding, precision instruments, and retail.
Top gainers included Chiba Bank Ltd (TYO:8331), which rose 4.21% to close at 1,250.50, followed by Furukawa Electric Co. (TYO:5801), up 3.62%, and Dai-ichi Life Holdings Inc (TYO:8750), gaining 3.53%. On the downside, Nissan Motor Co. (TYO:7201) fell 4.01%, hitting a three-year low, while SUMCO Corp. (TYO:3436) and DeNA Co. (TYO:2432) dropped 3.30% and 3.27%, respectively.
Market breadth showed more declining stocks (1,874) compared to advancing ones (1,695), with 286 stocks unchanged. The Nikkei Volatility Index jumped 10.50%, reflecting increased market uncertainty.
In commodities, crude oil prices edged up to $68.99 per barrel, while Brent oil slipped to $72.69 per barrel. Gold futures gained 0.97%, reaching $2,687.41 per troy ounce.
In the currency market, the USD/JPY pair fell 1.06% to 149.94, while the EUR/JPY dropped 0.80% to 158.65. The US Dollar Index also weakened, down 0.36% to 105.76.
