Economic worries weigh on the Japanese stock market

Frankfurt, Tokyo Concerns about the economy and the ongoing war in Ukraine pushed the Japanese stock markets into the red at the end of the week. According to stockbrokers, the fact that the mood in the Japanese economy deteriorated in the first quarter caused a damper. The so-called Tankan index for the business climate of the corporations fell to plus 14 in the first quarter from plus 17 in the final quarter of 2021.

The central bank’s quarterly survey shows companies have been hit by supply disruptions and rising commodity costs as a result of the Ukraine crisis, among other things. Tokyo’s Nikkei index fell 0.6 percent to 27,665 points, while the broader Topix index fell 0.1 percent.

Among the individual stocks, chip stocks such as Tokyo Electron and Advantest posted a minus of 2.5 and 1.8 percent, respectively. In China, the stock markets were up despite disappointing economic data. The Shanghai Stock Exchange gained 0.9 percent, the index of major companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen advanced 1.3 percent.