The Nikkei average is down 413 yen (as of 13:50). In terms of Nikkei average contribution, First Retail <9983>, Kyocera <6971>, Toho Electric <8035>, etc. are among the top negative contributors, while Advantest <6857>, Shin-Etsu Chemical <4063>, Fujikura <5803>, etc. are among the top positive contributors. In sectors, electric appliances, transportation equipment, pulp and paper, wholesale trade, and precision instruments are among the top decliners, while metal products, marine transportation, land transportation, fisheries and forestry, and rubber products are among the top gainers.
The Nikkei average is showing a weak trend. During the lunch break, it was reported that the Bank of Japan decided to maintain the policy interest rate at its monetary policy meeting. Although the market reaction was limited at the start of afternoon trading, some investors seem hesitant to engage in active buying as they want to assess Bank of Japan Governor Ueda's press conference scheduled after the market closes today. Furthermore, there seems to be a cautious approach due to upcoming important events such as the release of the U.S. personal consumption expenditure (PCE) price index for September tonight, the announcement of the U.S. employment statistics for October tomorrow, and the U.S. presidential election on November 5th.