Finance
Nikkei ends lower on yen strength, profit-taking after crossing 44,000
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on September 9, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
Global Banking and Finance Review
Company
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on September 9, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
The Nikkei Index fell as the yen strengthened and profit-taking occurred, ending a three-day rally. Initial gains were driven by government spending prospects.
By Rocky Swift and Kevin Buckland
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei share average ended lower on Tuesday, dragged by a stronger yen and profit-taking after the index climbed past the key 44,000 mark earlier in the session.
The Nikkei 225 Index surged as much as 1.24% to an unprecedented 44,185.73 before closing 0.4% lower at 43,459.29, snapping a three-day rally. The broader Topix finished the day down 0.5%.
Shares started strong, continuing sharp gains from Monday, on prospects for increased government spending following the resignation of fiscal hawk Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
"We think the government is likely to adopt a more expansionary stance in the fiscal debates from the autumn, given the need to secure the cooperation of one or more opposition parties, all of which are calling for procyclical fiscal policy," BofA Securities analysts said.
Stocks lost momentum as the yen strengthened, rising as much as 0.5% to 146.82 against the U.S. dollar, denting earnings prospects for exporters.
Japan's chief trade negotiator Ryosei Akazawa said in a post on X that U.S. tariffs on Japanese autos are set to be lowered by September 16, clearing up ambiguity over a trade deal sketched out in July.
But Akazawa said the most-favoured-nation status for pharmaceuticals and semiconductors have not been included in an executive order signed by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Takeda Pharmaceutical, Japan's biggest drugmaker, slid 3%.
Citizen Watch sank 5.5%, among the biggest losers on the Nikkei. The index compiler said after the close on Monday that Citizen would be removed from the Nikkei 225 from October.
The Nikkei's biggest gainer was chip-testing equipment maker and Nvidia supplier Advantest, which jumped 6.5% to a new record high.
Other notable risers included chip-making tool manufacturers Screen Holdings, which jumped 2.4%, and Tokyo Electron, which added 2%.
(Reporting by Rocky Swift and Kevin Buckland; Editing by Alan Barona and Rashmi Aich)
The Nikkei ended lower due to a stronger yen and profit-taking after surpassing the 44,000 mark.
The Nikkei 225 Index surged as much as 1.24% to 44,185.73 before closing 0.4% lower at 43,459.29.
The yen strengthened by 0.5% to 146.82 against the U.S. dollar, which dented earnings prospects for exporters.
The biggest gainer on the Nikkei was Advantest, a chip-testing equipment maker, which jumped 6.5% to a new record high.
Japan's chief trade negotiator announced that U.S. tariffs on Japanese autos are set to be lowered by September 16.
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