Stocks, Foreign Exchange, Interest Rates: The Nikkei Average fell for the first time in 5 days at the closing, with the dollar at the mid 152 yen at 3:00 p.m.

The Nikkei average at the closing bell fell for the first time in 5 days, fluctuating back and forth due to profit-taking following the previous day's high.
In the Tokyo stock market, the Nikkei average closed down 378.70 yen at 39,470.44 yen, declining for the first time in 5 days compared to the previous business day. After a 4-day rally until the previous day, profit-taking sell-offs triggered by the drop in US stocks spread. Much of the previous day's gains were given up, resulting in volatile trading back and forth. After the selling wave subsided, the decline slowed down.

At 3:00 PM, the dollar was in the upper 152 yen range, reaching a high not seen in 2 and a half weeks.
At 3:00 PM, the dollar/yen pair has been trading in the upper 152 yen range, with a slight increase in the dollar and a decrease in the yen since the end of the New York market the previous day. The speculation that the rate hike will be postponed at the monetary policy meeting in December, despite the release of the Tankan survey by the Bank of Japan, has remained unchanged. With persistent pressure to sell yen, the dollar reached a high of 153.04 yen at one point, the highest in about 2 and a half weeks since November 27.

JGB futures continue to rise, with a long-term interest rate of 1.04%. The interest rate on medium-term bonds has fallen as speculation about BOJ rate hikes recedes.
JGB futures centering on the March expiry date closed higher at 142.57 yen, up 12 sen from the previous trading day. The yield on newly issued 10-year JGBs (long-term interest rates) fell by 0.5 bps to 1.040%. With speculation of early BOJ rate hikes receding, interest rates in the medium-term zone have declined in the spot market. This trend has spread, and JGB futures have seen a dominance in buying.