Nikkei falls on soft US and China data

Nikkei down 0.7% as data raises doubts over global growth

Japanese share prices fell on Monday after soft US and China economic data raised doubts over global growth prospects, while shares in two printer manufacturers tumbled after disappointing earnings.

The Nikkei share average dropped 0.7% to 17,558.04. The broader Topix fell 0.5% to 1,408.75 while the JPX-Nikkei Index 400 lost 0.3% to 12,785.93.

Seiko Epson fell 10.1% while Konica Minolta dropped 9.4%.

Beneficiaries from sliding oil prices in the past several months - ranging from airline companies and rubber makers to power companies - also took a big hit after oil prices posted their biggest rebound in 2-1/2 years.