FX.co ★ Japanese Shares Fall for Third Session

The Nikkei 225 Index fell 0.7% to around 61,000, while the broader Topix Index slipped 0.5% to 3,845 on Monday, marking a third consecutive session of losses for Japanese equities as heightened tensions in the Middle East kept oil prices elevated. Former US President Donald Trump warned that Tehran is “running out of time” to reach an agreement with Washington, while Iranian media reports suggested the two sides remain far apart in negotiations. Japanese stocks also tracked Wall Street lower after Friday’s sharp selloff, when US Treasury yields jumped on expectations that the Federal Reserve may need to raise interest rates this year to counter inflationary pressures stemming from the Iran-related conflict. Technology shares led the decline, with notable losses in Kioxia Holdings (-8.3%), Fujikura (-2.4%), and SoftBank Group (-1.7%). In corporate news, Mizuho Financial dropped nearly 7% following reports that it is considering a possible investment in Rakuten Bank.