TOKYO (AFP/APP): Tokyo stocks ended flat Wednesday as investors weighed developments in the Middle East and US data that revived talk of another Federal Reserve interest rate hike.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 index inched up 1.96 points to 32,042.25, while the broader Topix index gained 0.14 percent, or 3.26 points, to 2,295.34. Traders were keeping a close watch on the Israel-Hamas crisis as oil prices surged following a deadly blast at a Gaza hospital, with each side blaming the other and worries growing of a region-wide conflict.
Meanwhile, a forecast-beating jump in US retail sales fanned speculation the Fed might have to hike borrowing costs once more as officials battle to bring inflation under control.
Some investors were also disheartened that “the Shanghai market did not rebound even after stronger-than-expected Chinese GDP figures for the July-September quarter were released”, said Shuji Hosoi, senior strategist of Daiwa Securities. “Investors are seemingly awaiting Japanese corporate earnings as well as US earnings… so trade volume is thin,” he added.
The dollar stood at 149.64 yen, against 149.82 yen seen on Tuesday in New York. On Wall Street, the Dow and the S&P 500 ended flat while the tech-heavy Nasdaq fell on rate hike worries.
Among major shares in Tokyo, energy developer Inpex surged 4.52 percent to 2,219 yen on higher oil prices, and Mizuho Financial Group added 2.10 percent to 2,579.5 yen thanks to a jump in US Treasury yields, dealers said. Central Japan Railway climbed 3.04 percent to 3,354 yen, reflecting expectations of a recovery in tourism. SoftBank Group sank 1.44 percent to 6,450 yen, Panasonic slipped 0.82 percent to 1,572 yen and Toyota ended down 0.45 percent at 2,669 yen.
