Japan's Nikkei slumps on strong yen worries before Fed decision
By Kevin Buckland
TOKYO, Sept 17 (Reuters) -Japan's Nikkei share average sank on Tuesday, weighed down by woories of a stronger yen, as investors braced for a super-sized interest rate cut from the U.S. Federal Reserve this week.
The Nikkei .N225 dropped 1.5% to 36,023.51, as of 0127 GMT, as the market reopened after a national holiday on Monday, when Japan's currency hit a more than one-year high against the dollar.
The broader Topix index .TOPX slumped 1.3%.
Technology giants were the biggest drag on the Nikkei, amid broader losses in export-dependent companies. Chip-sector peers declining on Wall Street overnight also weighed on sentiment. .N
Market odds of a 50-basis point (bp) Fed rate cut on Wednesday have soared to 67%, versus 33% probability for a quarter-point reduction. FEDWATCH
In total, 120 bps of cuts are priced for the remaining three Fed meetings this year, which means traders expect a second outsized reduction either in November or December.
The Bank of Japan will announce its policy decision on Friday. While no rate increase is expected this time, officials have struck hawkish postures in recent communications, fuelling bets for a faster pace of policy normalization.
"People are concerned about the potential for the yen to continue to rise," with "both the Fed and BOJ playing their parts in that," said Masayuki Kichikawa, chief macro strategist at Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management.
"People, including myself, are starting to get the impression the BOJ is in a rush to raise interest rates, irrespective of developments in the economy."
Of the Nikkei's 225 components, 167 fell and 58 rose.
Chip-making equipment giant Tokyo Electron 8035.T dived 5.6%, becoming the biggest drag on the index. Chip-testing machinery maker Advantest 6857.T sagged 4.5%, and artificial intelligence-focused startup investor SoftBank Group 9984.T slid 3.7%. Sony Group 6758.T tumbled 4.5%.
Automakers were also standout underperformers, with Toyota Motor 7203.T dropping 2.9% and Nissan 7201.T off 2.5%.
The yen soared as high as 139.58 per dollar JPY=EBS on Monday, crossing 140 for the first time since July of 2023. It was last changing hands at 140.40, about 0.16% stronger than Monday's closing level.
Reporting by Kevin Buckland; Editing by Rashmi Aich
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