Tokyo, Sept. 29 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average briefly fell over 1,100 points on Tuesday after the final trading day to secure end-of-September dividend rights. The index of 225 major issues listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s Prime section closed at 65,481.27, down 396.35 points, or 0.60 pct, from Monday. While ex-dividend selling had been estimated to push the Nikkei down by around 380 points, the stock index was additionally weighed down by uncertainty over the situation in the Middle East and increased bond yields in Japan and the United States. “Investors refrained from buying stocks due to a lack of new buying incentives or improvement in investor sentiment,” said an official at a major brokerage firm. Another domestic securities firm official noted that stocks were susceptible to profit-taking selling after the Nikkei gained over 2,800 points in a five-session rally through Friday. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
