The Nikkei 225 Index fell 0.3% to below 50,500, while the broader Topix Index lost 0.1% to 3,380 on Wednesday, ending a two-day advance as hawkish signals from the Bank of Japan weighed on domestic equities. BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda indicated that the central bank is getting close to its inflation target, suggesting a potential near-term rate hike. Markets are pricing in a possible rate increase next week, with attention on Ueda’s post-meeting comments for guidance on policy next year. Meanwhile, a weaker yen provided some support by improving the profit outlook for export-heavy industries and making Japanese assets more attractive to foreign investors. Nevertheless, sharp losses were seen among index heavyweights, including SoftBank Group (-1%), Disco Corp (-2%), Lasertec (-3.2%), Advantest (-1.9%) and Mitsubishi Heavy (-1.3%).
