The flagship Nikkei index took 0.44% to 28,803 points, following jumping nearly 2.7% the day before, and the broader Topix index gained 0.21% to 1,950.59 points.
The Tokyo Stock Exchange closed Thursday in the green, having returned to positive territory in the middle of the session following the Bank of Japan (BoJ) maintained its ultra-accommodating monetary policy, despite raised inflation forecasts.
The flagship Nikkei index took 0.44% to 28,803 points, following jumping nearly 2.7% the day before, and the broader Topix index gained 0.21% to 1,950.59 points.
Investors in Tokyo appreciated the BoJ’s reconfirmation of its ultra-accommodative course, despite the tendency of other major central banks to raise rates in the face of much higher inflation in their areas.
The institution has certainly revised its inflation forecast in Japan for the current financial year 2022/23 upwards, to 2.3% once morest 1.9% previously, but it continues to believe that this surge is mainly caused by the soaring prices of energy and other raw materials, an external and temporary factor, according to her.
In Hong Kong, on the other hand, the Hang Seng index was down sharply at the end of the session (-1.22% around 07:00 GMT), in particular once morest a backdrop of renewed fears regarding the Chinese real estate sector.
Today’s Value
SHIONOGI: Japanese pharmaceutical group Shionogi & Co saw its price tumble 6.84% to 7,024 yen following Japanese health authorities once more delayed the approval of its Covid-19 drug called Xocova (Ensitrelvir) on Wednesday. Shionogi is betting heavily on this treatment to boost its results from its current fiscal year 2022/23.
On the side of oil and currencies
Oil prices fell: around 06:50 GMT the barrel of American WTI yielded 0.82% to 99.06 dollars and the barrel of Brent from the North Sea lost 0.63% to 106.25 dollars.
On the foreign exchange market, the yen fell a little once morest the dollar, which was worth 138.28 yen around 07:00 GMT once morest 138.21 yen on Wednesday at 21:00 GMT.
The yen fell more sharply once morest the euro, which was trading for 141.23 yen once morest 140.70 yen the day before, as the European Central Bank (ECB) is expected to raise its key rates on Thursday for the first time in 11 year.
The European currency also progressed once morest the greenback, at the rate of one euro for 1.0204 dollars once morest 1.0180 dollars on Wednesday.
