Tokyo: The Japanese Nikkei index gave up its early gains to close slightly lower today, affected by a decline in semiconductor company stocks, following the results announcement from the Dutch equipment manufacturer ASML.
Nikkei fell by 0.05 percent to 67,744.29 points, after rising by up to 0.93 percent during the session, while the broader Topix index dropped 0.34 percent to 4,096.78 points.
Tokyo Electron's stock fell by 2.73%, while Advantest's stock also declined by 0.05%.
On the other hand, Fujikura, the manufacturer of fiber optic cables, saw its stock rise by 2.56%, and Taiyo Yuden's stock increased by 3.59%.
Bank stocks exerted pressure on the TOPIX index, with Mizuho Financial Group's stock dropping by 2.87%, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group by 1.94%, and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group by 1.85%.
In the main section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, 57% of listed companies' stocks fell, 38% rose, while 3% remained unchanged.
