April 21, 2025 at 02:46 am EDT
(MT Newswires) -- Japanese shares eased on Monday as market nerves flared over US President Donald Trump's attacks on the Federal Reserve and signs he considered firing Chair Jerome Powell, fanning worries about central bank independence.
The Nikkei 225 fell 1.3%, or 450.36 points, to close at 34,279.92.
Trump accused Powell of "playing politics" by holding off on rate cuts and said his removal "cannot come fast enough."
The president also blamed the Fed's stance for keeping borrowing costs high despite inflation pressures tied to his own tariff plans, a mix that he suggested could hurt him politically.
Among corporate movers, Ahrestyis selling its loss-making Guangzhou subsidiary to Guangzhou Jinzhang Plastic Products. Hit by shrinking orders due to rising Chinese EV competition, the unit posted a drop in sales to 800 million yen in 2023.
The deal, closing by July 6, will add 800 million yen to Ahresty's fiscal 2026 earnings.
H.I.S. Co. slashed executive salaries at two units after uncovering subsidy fraud. Cruise Planet's ex-president will see a 50% pay cut for five months, while Ohshu Express executives face smaller cuts. The fallout follows misconduct across three subsidiaries.
Nippon Television said foreign ownership reached 19.99% as of March 31, just below the 20% cap that could cost its broadcast license under Japanese law.

Sumber : MT Newswires