Published on 12/01/2025 at 01:39 am EST
(MT Newswires) -- Japanese shares ended lower on Monday, as the yen strengthened and investors weighed the prospect of a near-term rate move by the Bank of Japan, despite sustained U.S. rate-cut hopes tied to the Federal Reserve.
The Nikkei 225 fell 1.89%, or 950.63 points, to close at 49,303.28.
The Japanese yen firmed to 155.47 per dollar as Kazuo Ueda spoke in Nagoya, with investors seeking signals on a rate move by the Bank of Japan.
He said the BOJ would weigh the "pros and cons" of lifting rates at its next policy meeting, the clearest cue yet for possible action this month. Ueda was scheduled to speak again later in the day.
In economic news, Japan's capital spending grew 2.9% year-on-year in Q3, slowing from 7.6% in Q2, as factory investment tapered to 1.4% from 16.4% prior, while services firms rose 3.9% from 3.0%, data from the Ministry of Finance showed.
Manufacturing PMI climbed to 48.7 in November from 48.2 in October, its slowest pace of decline in three months, according to a survey by S&P Global. Output cuts eased to the mildest since August, but input costs hit a five-month high, driven by materials and wages, lifting price pressures.
Firms raised selling prices again to defend margins, even as new orders stayed weak. Inventories of purchased goods logged their steepest drop in five years. Hiring and business confidence improved on bets of new launches and a demand rebound.
On the corporate front, Shibaura Machine , which ended 2.4% lower, bought 80% of German injection-molding maker SHIBAURA MACHINE LWB GmbH via its Europe, Middle East and Africa arm.
Okamoto Industries, which fell 2.7%, said condom shipments "temporarily decreased" due to distributor inventory adjustments, calling it a one-off drag at its Nov. 28 results briefing. Orders for gloves have stabilized after cheaper imports, with semiconductor factories supporting demand.
Manulife Financial Corporationsaid it agreed to sell its Vietnam life unit MVI Life Insurance to Asahi Mutual Life Insurance Company for about 30 billion yen, subject to regulatory approvals. The purchase would be Asahi Life's first overseas acquisition as midsize Japanese financial groups seek growth abroad amid domestic demographic pressures.

Sumber : MT Newswires