Nikkei Ends Lower in Subdued Holiday Trade; Posts Fourth Weekly Drops

Tokyo: Japanese stocks ended marginally lower on Friday in holiday-thinned Christmas trading, with the slightly stronger yen capping risk appetite.

The Nikkei fell 0.1 per cent at 18,769.06 after moving in and out of the black. Although markets were open in Japan, trading was limited with many other financial markets closed for the Christmas holiday.

For the week, the Nikkei fell 1.1 per cent and posted a fourth weekly losses.

The broader Topix dropped 0.5 per cent to 1,516.19, with only 1.806 billion shares changing hands, the lowest level since December 7. The JPX-Nikkei Index 400 shed 0.4 per cent to 13,692.65.