Japan Market extends losses

Japan share market finished lower for third consecutive session on Monday, 21 February 2022, as escalating Russia-Ukraine tensions dented investors' appetite for riskier assets. Uncertainty about the outlook for monetary policy also continued to weigh on the markets ahead of an anticipated interest rate hike by the Federal Reserve next month.

At closing bell, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average fell 211.20 points, or 0.78%, to 26,910.87. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange dropped 13.63 points, or 0.71%, to 1,910.68.

Total 29 of 33 TSE issues advanced, with bottom performing sectors were Metal Products (down 1.75%), Marine Transportation (down 1.63%), Land Transportation (down 1.56%), Electric Appliances (down 1.53%), and Fishery, Agriculture & Forestry (down 1.27%).

Investor sentiment weighed down amid concerns of a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine have kept investors on edge, with Biden saying Friday the U.S. believes Putin has decided to carry out an attack on Ukraine "in the coming days."

Chipmakers declined, with Tokyo Electron dropping 2.94% to become the biggest drag on Nikkei. Advantest and Renesas lost 1.88% and 2.11%, respectively. Sony Group slid 1.53% and Nintendo fell 1.19%. Sharp Corp tumbled 10.12% after the electronics maker announced it replaced its chief executive officer.

In economic news, the manufacturing sector in Japan continued to expand in February, albeit at a slower pace, the latest survey from Markit Economics showed on Monday with a manufacturing PMI score of 52.9. That's down from 55.4 in January, although it remains above the boom-or-bust line of 50 that separates expansion from contraction. The survey also showed that the services PMI tumbled to 42.7 in February from 47.6 in January, while the composite PMI slipped to 44.6 from 49.9.

CURRENCY NEWS: The Japanese yen traded at 114.99 per dollar after strengthening to around 114.8 against the greenback late last week.

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