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Tokyo. – Tokyo stocks eased 0,69 percent yesterday morning, a day after closing at a six-month high, as the yen edged up against the dollar, hitting exporter shares. The benchmark index shed 107,70 points to 15 511,43 by the break, while the Topix index of all first-section shares was down 0,58 percent, or 7,27 points, to 1 252,34. Tokyo’s slip follows a tepid lead from Wall Street where the Dow eked out a 0,05 percent rise as investors weighed a weak US housing report and a deal between Iran and major powers over its nuclear programme.

The deal with Tehran boosted sentiment – and the dollar – on Monday, and sent the Nikkei up 1,54 percent to a new six-month high.

Yesterday, Japanese exporters eased as the dollar’s rally against the yen fizzled. The greenback was buying 101,43 yen in Tokyo morning trade, down from 101,51 yen in New York and well off the levels around 101,90 yen in Asia on Monday. – AFP.

“The dollar’s levels are key to predicting the Nikkei, but even the smallest pause in the yen-weakening trend we’ve seen will invite profit-taking after the Nikkei’s recent run-up,” Kenichi Hirano, market analyst at Tachibana Securities, told Dow Jones Newswires.

Toyota was down 0,93 percent at 6,370 yen, Sony fell 1,19 percent to 1,845 yen and Uniqlo clothing chain operator Fast Retailing slipped 0,13 percent to 37,650 yen.-AFP