Roundup: Nikkei drops 1.39 pct on concern for U.S. economy

The Nikkei stock index lost 1.39 percent Thursday as a hugely disappointing lead from Wall Street overnight coupled with concerns over the health of the U.S. economic recovery, conspired to create a sour market mood.

The Nikkei 225 index lost 275.08 points from Wednesday to end at 19,471.12, while the broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange closed 23.19 points, or 1.46 percent lower at 1,568.82.

Local traders here noted that U.S. stocks took a tumble after the Commerce Department reported that orders for durable goods had slumped 1.4 percent in February, despite median analysts predictions for a positive uptick.

They said the figures were perhaps more evidence that the U.S. economy has not recovered at a pace recently thought, following a slew of upbeat macroeconomic data recently, including some impressive employment figures.

The latest data may also mean the U.S. Federal Reserve will continue to hold off on its plans to, at some point this year, hike its key interest rate. Leading economists had originally thought this could happen as early as summer, but economic data has led the Fed to push the hike until later this year, they said.

The drop on Wall Street overnight and concerns for the health of the world's largest economy were a trigger for investors to sell for profits Thursday, as some analysts had indicated that following the market's recent run of gains, the market here may be overheating and Japanese issues are beginning to be deemed overvalued.

Daisuke Uno, a strategist from Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp., said that economic expansion, as the U.S. is experiencing, is cyclical and, as such, a point will be reached where things begin to worsen and intimated that that point may be now. He added that it was now even more unlikely that the Fed would raise its interest rates anytime soon.

"Considering the long length of the current U.S. economic expansion, it may finally be reaching a turning point where the data start to worsen, as is the case with such cycles, Uno said, adding that "U.S. corporate profit growth rates are thin and allow for more downside to stock prices than upside."

On currency markets, the U.S. dollar was trading hands at 118. 90 yen, dropping from the month-low 119.60 yen level logged a day earlier.

Consumer electronics maker Sony slumped 3.3 percent to 3,165 yen, Nissan Motor reversed 2.1 percent to 1,254 yen and electronic component maker TDK tumbled 4.5 percent to end at 8,760 yen.

Auto part maker Imasen Electric Industrial tumbled 7.2 percent to 1,503 yen, following the firm suggesting its net group profit for the business year ending March would be just 25 percent of its initial projections, due to a downturn in its U.S. markets.

Toyo Tire & Rubber remained in the headlines Thursday, diving seven percent to 2,178 yen, after the Japanese government on Wednesday ordered officials at the company that admitted making faulty rubber products used as shock absorbers in buildings to resist earthquakes, to ensure more of its products were not substandard.

Toyo Tire & Rubber Managing Director Kazuyuki Ito apologized for the latest scandal, saying his company was working closely with the ministry to remedy the problem, whilst admitting the company's culpability in failing to check whether data for other devises had been falsified, following the original revelation.

Energy-related issues found favor Thursday; however, owing to Saudi Arabia's moves against Yemen, and Inpex Corp. advanced 2 percent to 1,374 yen and Japan Petroleum Exploration Co. added 3.5 percent to 4,090 yen. JX Holdings, meanwhile, advanced 1.4 percent to finish the day at 488 yen.

Karaoke operator Tetsujin Inc. also closed in positive territory, gaining 2 percent to 500 yen, it said recently that its initial earnings were higher than first thought, leading the firm to raise its net income forecast by 55 percent in the half-year through Feb. 28, to 170 million yen.

Trading volume on Thursday rose to 2.29 billion shares on the Tokyo Exchange's First Section, up from Wednesday's volume of 2.14 billion shares, with declining issues battering advancing ones by 1,558 to 242. Endi