TOKYO, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Japanese stocks fell for a second session on Thursday as rising coronavirus cases at home and exporters’ concerns over a firmer yen dented investor sentiment.
The Nikkei 225 Index fell 0.48% to 25,603.77 at 0205 GMT, while the broader Topix was down 0.25% at 1,716.30.
COVID-19 cases in Tokyo hit a record daily high on Wednesday and investors are worried that policymakers will order services sector companies to shorten their business hours.
Infections are also rising rapidly in the United States, raising concerns about the health of the world’s largest economy.
The underperformers among the Topix 30 were Astellas Pharma Inc down 2.27%, followed by Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc losing 1.90%.
Shares also took a hit as the yen rose to a one-week high. A stronger yen tends to decrease earnings for exporters.
The stocks that gained the most among the top 30 core Topix names were drugmaker Daiichi Sankyo Co Ltd, up 2.28%, followed by trading house Itochu Corp, which rose 1.71%.
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