In the afternoon of the 27th trading day, the following three points should be noted.
・The Nikkei Average continues to rise slightly, with a stronger mood to assess the Liberal Democratic Party leadership election after recovering to the 39,000 yen level.
・The dollar-yen struggles to rise, with the dollar buying having peaked.
・Tokyo Electron <8035> tops the list of gainers, followed by Fanuc Corp <6954>.
■The Nikkei Average continues to rise slightly, with a stronger mood to assess the Liberal Democratic Party leadership election after recovering to the 39,000 yen level.
The Nikkei average continues to rise slightly. It closed the morning trading at 38,964.65 yen, up 39.02 yen from the previous day (+0.10%), with an estimated volume of 0.930 million shares.
The U.S. stock market rose on the 26th. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 42,175.11 dollars, up 260.36 points (+0.62%), the Nasdaq at 18,190.29, up 108.08 points (+0.60%), and the S&P 500 at 5,745.37, up 23.11 points (+0.40%). Following better-than-expected economic indicators, there was buying due to improved economic outlook. The Chinese government's plan to strengthen fiscal support to achieve growth targets and the prospect of demand recovery also supported the market. Micron's rise in the semiconductor sector led the Nasdaq. The market remained firm throughout the day.
With the rise in U.S. stocks and the weakening yen, the Tokyo market started trading on a bullish note. The Nikkei average started by recovering the 39,000 yen level for the first time since September 2, but faced resistance due to ex-dividend adjustments and the significant rise of over 1,000 yen the previous day. The impending vote counting for the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election, where the next prime minister will be effectively decided, also contributed to caution in trading decisions.
Among the Nikkei average constituent stocks, shares of Shiseido<4911>, Yasukawa Electric<6506>, and Fanuc<6954> among China-related stocks were bought, while semiconductor stocks like Lasertec<6920>, Tokyo Electron<8035>, and Renesas Electronics<6723> rose on the back of the uptick in U.S. tech stocks. Other companies like Ebara Corporation<6361>, Sumitomo Metal Mining<5713>, Omron<6645>, and Resonac<4004> were also purchased.
On the other hand, due to the decline in crude oil prices, ENEOS Holdings<5020>, INPEX<1605> declined, and financial stocks like Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings<8309>, Sumitomo<8316>, Concordia Financial Group<7186>, Mizuho<8411>, MS&AD<8725>, and Nomura<8604> were generally sold. Companies like Taisei Corporation<1801>, Obayashi Corporation<1802>, Nichirei<2871>, and Nidec<6594> also declined.
By sector, machinery, precision instruments, chemicals, textiles & apparels, rubber products, etc., rose, while petroleum & coal products, mining, pulp & paper, banking, securities & commodity futures trading, etc., declined.
The Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election voting started at 13:00, with results expected to be announced around 14:20. With 9 candidates and no clear favorite, it is likely to lead to a final showdown. The second round results are expected around 15:40, after the market close, so the Tokyo market in the afternoon may be cautious. There are observations of 'buying the highs' in financial stocks and some growth market stocks, but caution is required in case of a defeat for the favored candidate leading to a potential unwinding of these stocks.
The dollar-yen is struggling to grow, with dollar buying coming to a halt.
In the morning session on the 27th, the dollar-yen struggled to rise, rising from 144.76 yen to 145.56 yen before stalling near 145 yen. Dollar buying by domestic players increased towards the fixing price, but the buying has come to a halt. On the other hand, the Nikkei average stock price faced resistance on the upside, and the yen selling buoyed by the stock market rise seems limited.
The trading ranges so far are as follows: the dollar-yen ranging from 144.76 yen to 145.56 yen, the euro-yen from 161.82 yen to 162.56 yen, and the euro-dollar from 1.1162 dollars to 1.1177 dollars.
Check stocks for the afternoon session
・7 stocks including Rice Curry <195A> and LiberaWare <218A> hit the daily limit up.
*Includes temporary stopper (indicated price)
・Top contributors to price gains are Tokyo Electron <8035> in 1st place, followed by Fanuc <6954> in 2nd place.
Economic indicators and remarks by important people
[Economic indicators]
・Sun, Sep. Consumer Price Index in Tokyo (excluding fresh food): +2.0% year-on-year (Estimate: +2.0%, Aug: +2.4%)
・Aug. Industrial business profits: -17.8% year-on-year (July: +4.1%)
[Important Person's Remarks]
• Federal Reserve Board Director Cook
"The labor market is firm, but significantly cooling off."
"The risk of inflation overshooting has decreased, while the risk of employment undershooting has increased."
• 14:00 July Economic Outlook Index - Leading (Preliminary Value: 109.5)
Not applicable.