Daily Times

Tokyo shares closed lower Friday, extending losses after falls on Wall Street as US Treasury yields rose, reflecting fresh rate hike worries. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index slipped 0.43 percent, or 116.38 points, to end at 26,890.58, while the broader Topix index fell 0.71 percent, or 13.43 points, to 1,881.98. The overall mood of global investors has soured as US yields head higher and the Federal Reserve continues its aggressive rate-hike campaign to fight inflation. The Fed’s “strategic bias is for more rate hikes now and fewer later when fighting inflation and will continue to bite so long as inflation remains sticky”, said Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management. “Risky asset uncertainty will loom large next week” as more major US firms release earnings, he added. The market is also awaiting the delayed release of Chinese GDP data after pessimistic predictions from analysts, Innes said. The figures may become available after the Communist Party Congress comes to an end this weekend. “I do not think anyone is optimistic either,” Innes added, pointing to Friday’s falling stocks. The US rate hikes have caused the yen to slide to its lowest level against the dollar in over three decades, while the Bank of Japan sticks to its longstanding monetary easing policies. The greenback rose to 150.40 yen in Tokyo against the 150.19 yen seen in New York on Thursday.