Japan’s Nikkei index touches bear market territory as global stock rout intensifies
The Nikkei 225 fell as much as 7.1% in early trade, pushing its losses to 21% since early July. The index is poised to enter bear market territory, which is defined as a 20% pullback from recent highs. It later pared its losses to 5.8%.
On Friday, the index closed down 5.8%, marking itsbiggest daily drop since March 2020, as traders fretted about the impact of a stronger yen on Japanese companies after the Bank of Japan signalled further rate hikes could be on the way.
Asian stocks tracked a sharp drop on Wall Street on Friday, where disappointing jobs data added to fears that the US economy is weakening. The Dow closed 1.5% lower, the S&P 500 lost 1.8% and the Nasdaq Composite declined 2.4%. The Nasdaq closed in correction territory, or more than 10% off its most recent high on July 10.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
In light of the Bank of Japan's indication of potential future rate hikes, investors are concerned about the impact on Japanese businesses, leading to a significant decrease in the Nikkei 225. The intense business environment has also contributed to the broader market decline, with the Nasdaq Composite entering correction territory.
