The Nikkei Average is down 43 yen (as of 13:50). In terms of the contribution to the Nikkei Average, First Retail <9983>, Advantest <6857>, and TDK <6762> are among the top contributors, while Chugai Pharmaceutical <4519>, Shin-Etsu Chemical <4063>, and Daiichi Sankyo <4568> are among the top negative contributors. In terms of sectors, transportation equipment, rubber products, oil & coal products, warehouse transportation related, and iron & steel are among the top gainers, while land transportation, air transportation, pharmaceutical, real estate, and chemicals are among the top decliners.

The Nikkei Average is trading at a slightly lower level. In addition to fluctuating in the direction of a stronger yen and weaker dollar compared to the morning, there are important events coming up, such as the announcement of the results of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) and a press conference by Jerome Powell, Chairman of the Federal Reserve, in the early hours of tomorrow (Japan time), as well as the announcement of the results of the Bank of Japan Monetary Policy Meeting and a press conference by Haruhiko Kuroda, Governor of the Bank of Japan, on the 20th, and it seems that active buying is generally being put on hold as investors want to assess the impact of these events.