13-Year High Dollar Against Yen, Nikkei and Asian Indexes Drop Nearly 2%

Hiruki Nakamura
09 Jun, 2015
New York City

Nikkei in Tokyo fell the most in five weeks after the dollar retreated from its recent highs. In the session, the dollar touched to a 13-year high. Market indexes across Asia declined on the dollar move and indexes in Jakarta, Philippines and Taiwan plunged at least 1.8%.

[R]4:30 PM Tokyo – Nikkei in Tokyo fell the most in five weeks after the dollar retreated from its recent highs. In the session, the dollar touched to a 13-year high. Market indexes across Asia declined on the dollar move and indexes in Jakarta, Philippines and Taiwan plunged at least 1.8%.[/R]

Market indexes in Japan fell the most in five weeks after the dollar eased off from its recent highs and indexes across Asia declined.

The Nikkei 225 Stock Average declined 360.89 or 1.8% to 20,096.30 and the broader Topix index slumped 27.62 or 1.7% to 1,634.37.

The yen closed at 124.59 against a dollar and the U.S. dollar jumped to a 13-year high above 125 yen in the session.

The benchmark index in Indonesia dropped 2.3%, in Philippines declined 2.1% and in Taiwan fell 1.9%.

Stocks in Review

Hakuhodo Dy Holdings Inc slipped 1.6% to 1,255 yen after the advertising company said total revenues in May soared 10.1% to 48.11 billion yen from the same month in a year ago.

Total revenues in television segment soared 95.9% to 23.12 billion yen and revenues from newspaper business climbed more than doubled to 2.39 billion yen.

The company added total sales in May in Daiko uit jumped 10.4% to 8.97 billion yen and total sales in Yomiko group climbed 96.5% to 5.63 billion yen.

Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd dropped 1.6% to 605 yen after the Nikkei daily said the transportation and industrial equipment maker plans to start a joint venture with a China-based mid-tier conveyor equipment maker to produce industrial robots.

This month, Kawasaki opened a factory in Jiangsu Province and estimated sales of industrial robots to more than quadruple in China to 45 billion yen by 2020.

Mitsui Fudosan Co Ltd fell 1.2% to 3,483.50 yen after the Nikkei News reported real estate developer and Thailand-based Ananda Development will construct five high-rise condominium buildings in the Bangkok.

The five buildings will have total of 4,200 units and is estimated to sell for 19 billion baht or $570 million.

Natoco Co Ltd tumbled 12.1% to 1,078 yen after the synthetic coatings and thinners maker said net sales in the first-half ending in April climbed 7.1% to 7.25 billion yen from 6.78 billion yen in a year ago period.

Net income in the period jumped 2.4% to 287 million yen compared to 281 million yen and earnings per share increased to 38.16 yen from 34.53 yen in the same period a year ago.

The paint maker forecasted net sales for the year to gain 2.9% to 14.60 billion yen and net income to soar 18.9% to 600 million yen.