Dropping Significantly: Japanese Market

The European markets showed a mixed performance on the day, with the French CAC 40 Index edging up, the German DAX Index closing just below the unchanged line, and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 Index falling. Meanwhile, stocks on Wall Street moved mostly higher over the course of the trading day on Thursday, with the S&P 500 reaching another new record closing high.

In the Japanese market, the Nikkei 225 Index dipped 0.42 percent, closing at 42,650.62. The decline was more pronounced in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, where the Nikkei 225 Index dropped 178.17 points. Weakness was observed across most sectors, particularly exporters and technology stocks.

Notable declines included Tokyo Electron, which fell more than 2 percent, and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial, which lost almost 1 percent each. Toyota and Honda also experienced losses, with Toyota shedding more than 1 percent and Honda adding 1.5 percent.

In the currency market, the U.S. dollar was trading in the lower 147 yen-range on Friday. Meanwhile, overall consumer prices in the Tokyo region of Japan were up 2.6 percent on year in August, with core consumer prices, which strips out the volatile costs of food, up an annual 2.5 percent. Retail sales in Japan were up 0.3 percent on month in July, but missed forecasts for a 1.5 percent increase. On a yearly basis, retail sales slumped 1.6 percent.

The unemployment rate in Japan came in at a seasonally adjusted 2.3 percent in July. In contrast, the jobs-to-applicant ratio was 1.22 in July, indicating a slight improvement from the previous month.

The METI maintained its assessment for industrial production, stating that it continues to fluctuate indecisively. The decline in industrial production was more than expected, as it was forecasted to decrease by 1.1 percent.

In the banking sector, the name of the company that recorded the largest loss on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Friday was not disclosed in the available screenings. However, Mizuho Financial edged down 0.5 percent.

On the positive side, SoftBank Group gained almost 1 percent. Uniqlo operator Fast Retailing also lost almost 1 percent.

Crude oil prices moved higher on Thursday following a drop in U.S. crude inventories a day earlier. West Texas Intermediate crude for October delivery was up $0.42 or 0.65 percent at $64.57 per barrel.

In summary, the European markets showed a mixed performance, with the Japanese market dipping and Wall Street reaching a new high. The decline in industrial production in Japan was more than expected, but consumer prices and retail sales showed some growth. The currency market saw the U.S. dollar trading lower against the yen. Crude oil prices also saw a rise.