Nikkei Falls to Its Lowest Level in a Week And Half

Japanese stocks fell to their lowest levels in a week and a half on Monday, as concerns about the deterioration of relations between China and the United States caused a negative shift in investor sentiment.

The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average lost 35.76 points, or 0.16%, from Wednesday to close the day at 22,715.85.

The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, meanwhile, added 3.73 points, or 0.24%, to finish at 1,576.69.

U.S. dollar, which sent exporter issues lower, was offset by buying on hopes for the Bank of Japan’s purchases of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to underpin the market.

The biggest percentage loss on the index was the share of Nikon, which fell 7.15% after Intel Corp. which indicated that it might stop manufacturing its chip components.