Japan’s Nikkei Stock Average Falls on Profit Booking, Topix Snaps 13-Day Winning Rally

Reuters

17:00 JST, May 14, 2025

TOKYO, May 14 (Reuters) – Japan’s Nikkei share average fell on Wednesday as investors booked profits from a recent rally, while the broader Topix snapped its longest winning streak in nearly 16 years.

The Nikkei reversed earlier gains to end 0.14% lower at 38,128.13. However, the index recovered from an intraday low of 37,865.22.

The broader Topix fell 0.32% to 2,763.29, snapping a 13-day winning streak, the longest since August 2009.

The Nikkei hit a three-month high on Tuesday, buoyed by hopes of more deals between major economies after the U.S. and China agreed to temporarily slash the harsh reciprocal tariffs.

“The market had set the 38,000 as a target after the Nikkei tanked last month, following the announcement of (U.S. President Donald) Trump’s tariffs,” said Hiroyuki Ueno, chief strategist at Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Asset Management.

“The index hit that target earlier than expected, and that prompted investors to sell stocks to book profits today.”

Uniqlo-brand owner Fast Retailing slid 1.09% to drag down the Nikkei the most. Toyota Motor lost 3.53%.

Sony gained 3.67% after forecasting a 0.3% rise in its annual operating profit in the financial year ending March 2026.

Yaskawa Electric fell 1.88% after the robot maker was excluded from MSCI’s standard index in a routine reshuffle.

Of more than 1,600 stocks trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s prime market, 34% rose, 63% fell and 1% traded flat.