TOKYO (dpa-AFX) - The Japanese market is notably lower on Friday, reversing some of the losses in the previous session, following the broadly negative cues from Wall Street overnight. The Nikkei 225 is falling well below the 54,950 level, with weakness in index heavyweights and financial stocks partially offset by gains in automaker stocks as well as a mixed performance in exporters and technology stocks.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 Index is down 368.20 points or 0.67 percent to 54,909.86, after hitting a low of 54,631.54 earlier. Japanese shares ended sharply higher on Thursday.
Market heavyweight SoftBank Group is losing almost 1 percent and Uniqlo operator Fast Retailing is edging down 0.3 percent. Among automakers, Toyota is gaining almost 1 percent and Honda is adding more than 1 percent.
In the tech space, Advantest is down almost 1 percent and Tokyo Electron is losing more than 1 percent, while Screen Holdings is gaining almost 1 percent.
In the banking sector, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial and Mizuho Financial are losing more than 1 percent each.
Among the major exporters, Sony is gaining almost 1 percent and Canon is edging up 0.1 percent, while Mitsubishi Electric is declining more than 4 percent and Panasonic is losing almost 2 percent.
Among other major losers, Casio Computer is tumbling almost 6 percent and Fujikura is sliding almost 5 percent, while Mitsui Kinzoku, Takashimaya and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines are declining almost 4 percent each. Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Yokohama Rubber, Furukawa Electric, Mitsubishi Materials and Nippon Electric Glass are slipping more than 3 percent each, while Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Marubeni and Taisei are losing almost 3 percent each.
Conversely, SHIFT and Nomura Research Institute are jumping more than 6 percent each, while Tokuyama is surging more than 5 percent and Trend Micro is advancing more than 4 percent. GS Yuasa, BayCurrent, Kyowa Kirin, NEC and Taiheiyo Cement are gaining almost 4 percent each, while Terumo and LY are adding more than 3 percent each, while Fujitsu and Sumitomo Chemical are up almost 3 percent each.
In the currency market, the U.S. dollar is trading in the lower 157 yen-range on Friday.
On Wall Street, stocks moved back to the downside during trading on Thursday after turning in a strong performance in the previous session. The major averages all moved lower, with the Dow slumping to its lowest closing level in well over two months.
The major averages saw a notable recovery attempt in the final hour of trading but still closed in negative territory. The Dow tumbled 784.67 points or 1.6 percent to 47,954.74, the S&P 500 slid 38.79 points or 0.6 percent to 6,830.71 and the Nasdaq fell 58.50 points or 0.3 percent to 22,748.99.
The major European markets all also showed significant moves to the downside on the day. While the German DAX Index tumbled by 1.6 percent, the French CAC 40 Index and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 Index both slumped 1.5 percent.
Crude oil prices skyrocketed again on Thursday, resuming the surge seen earlier in the week in reaction to the conflict in the Middle East. West Texas Intermediate crude for April delivery spiked $6.51 or 8.7 percent to $81.17 a barrel and has soared $14.15 or 21.1 percent so far this week.
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